Rising From the Ashes of Ascension
by Shannon K
Summary: This is the sequel to The Immortal Spacemonkey, a SG1 & Highlander crossover. Daniel has to pick up his life after leaving the glow club. Expect some hijinxs from our favorite Immortal Spacemoneky and his friends. Please read and review!
1. Prologue

Rising From the Ashes of Ascension

(AKA: The Immortal Spacemonkey II)

By Shannon K

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references (though that will never be graphic).

A/N: Holy shitake mushrooms! The response to The Immortal Spacemonkey was over-whelming, to say the least. Towards the end of the story, as I was wrapping it up, I began to realize (with a lot of poking and prodding from a few of you) that the story wasn't really over. Therefore, a new section in my handy-dandy notebook was reserved for the sequel and so the trip began once again.

A few things to know before reading this story: yes, "Meridian" happened, yes Daniel died and was made into an Ascended being by Oma, yes you should first read The Immortal Spacemonkey before reading this one, and yes this is a Highlander-SG1 crossover. Methos will figure into this story, but as for other characters from Highlander (Duncan will probably not make much of an appearance if at all – but things can always change) you will have to wait and see.

Feedback is always appreciated. Even if you don't like the story, as long as the criticism is constructive I will appreciate it as much as someone saying that they love it. Flames however, will only be used to feed my inferno of hatred.

I hope you will enjoy the trip as much as I have. Remember to return all trays to their upright positions, all seatbelts are fastened, and any carry-on items are properly stored for this is going to be a bumpy ride.

* * *

Prologue

He stood there surrounded by whiteness; it was so bright and pure that he couldn't make out any of the shapes of the beings that he knew were near-by.

"You have broken the laws of the Ascended Daniel," a bodiless voice called out from the great white beyond.

"Yes, but only because if I hadn't many people would have died," Daniel shot back, pissed that these people, these Ancients, couldn't get their heads out of their collective asses and see that by not interfering they were still making a choice, that they were deciding the fate of millions. "You know what a monster Anubis is and yet you do nothing to stop him. He was once one of you and you allow him to continue on, bringing nothing but death and destruction to millions."

"The Universe is vast and we are small. The death of a few does not matter, nor do they concern us," another voice rang out.

"It matters to the people that are dying out there!" he said hotly. If he actually had a body, he would have been sweating, a physical manifestation of how worked up he was right then. Hell, he probably would have hit the owner of the voice. Instead, he stood there, looking like a normal human being dressed in long white robes, cool as they come.

"You must be punished for your actions," a voice, a male voice this time, exclaimed, deeper than the other, lighter, female voices that spoke before. "Your actions have continuously come close to crossing the line Daniel Jackson, pushing our tolerance of your continued tied to your former teammates, but by taking actions against Anubis, you violated our laws."

"Your laws are wrong!"

"Our laws exist for a reason Daniel," a soft and familiar voice spoke up.

"Oma," Daniel breathed, readily recognizing the voice of his mentor and friend. He hoped with her appearance, the others could be made to see reason.

"Yes Daniel, it is I," the being known as Oma Desala said as she came into focus. She was radiant as ever, her long brown hair and luminous skin fairly glowing, the shine competing for dominance with the brightness of the room.

"Oma, please make them understand that I couldn't stand by and let that monster destroy my friends and family. I had to do something since nobody else seemed to give a damn," Daniel explained, hoping that Oma would recognize the truth.

"I understand Daniel," she gently told him and then turned to face the unseen audience. "Daniel should be punished and I will take care of it. He is my responsibility."

"Don't I get a say in this," he asked her quietly.

"No, now hush," she whispered.

"Daniel will be returned to his people, but will not have any active memory of his time he spent among us," Oma began, her gentle voice ringing out with authority and clarity. "Also, he will be stripped of his memory of his life among the Tau'ri."

"So be it. Take care of this Oma and see to it that we do not have to step in and take care of it for you," the disembodied male voice, deep and timbered, declared.

With that, the Others left, leaving Daniel and Oma to themselves.

"Oma," Daniel began. "I accept the punishment of having my memories of the time I spent here taken but to have all of my memories taken, of my time on Earth is cruel and dangerous. You know what I am. What if I run into another Immortal and I have no idea as to why they want to cut off my head?"

Oma bestowed a benevolent smile upon him. "I said that you would lose your memories of your time among the Tau'ri. I never said that it would be permanent. Your memories of being ascended will be buried in your subconscious, inaccessible though a few may slip through. The human brain, even an Immortal brain, cannot handle the knowledge of the Ancients like an Ascended Being can."

"Can you tell me the fate of my friends and family? Are they okay?"

"Your friends, Jack, Samantha, Teal'c, and Adam are safe, back on Earth."

"What about my family?" Daniel felt a chill run down his non-existent spine.

"They are safe. I couldn't prevent their deaths, but I did help all of the Abydonians in the blast radius Ascend. Your father-in-law and brother-in-law are safe."

"Can I see them before I go?" Daniel asked, desperate to hug Kasuf and apologizing to him for failing him, his people, and his daughter.

"No, they are not ready for that kind of interaction yet, but do not worry Daniel. Kasuf and Skaraa do not blame you for what has transpired. They told me to tell you that they love you and that you will meet again someday," Oma said.

"I just wish it hadn't happened the way it did. I am sorry that I failed you Oma, but I couldn't stand there and do nothing," Daniel said, sensing that his time was coming to an end.

"I know dear Daniel," she said and gently stroked his face. "You did not fail me Daniel. You are a good person who is guided by his heart. That cannot be faulted. Anubis is my fault and I am sorry that you became ensnared by his wickedness."

"Will we see each other again?"

"Perhaps, but in the meantime watch your head and don't give up your fight against the wicked. Didn't you once say that evil will continue to exist while good people do nothing? Don't let go of that," Oma comforted him.

"Pot, kettle, black Oma," Daniel observed caustically. "While you help others ascend, you do nothing to stop the one person you are responsible for that is laying waste to the galaxy. You are a good person Oma, but you do nothing to help."

"I know," Oma said simply, hating the way he was looking at her, judging her and her lack of action. "I'm sorry that it had to happen this way."

"Will I ever be able to remember why the Game exists?"

"Maybe, someday you will remember, but not for a long while. Take care Daniel," she said and placed both hands upon Daniel and in a flash they were both gone.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know.

Also, remember that this story will be updated probably only once a week because I don't have as much of it finished as I did the previous one and I have discovered that being the primary caretaker of my home, working full-time, and trying to fit in little things like sleep tend to get in the way of fan-fiction. Please be patient with me and my story.


	2. Chapter 1

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references (though that will never be graphic).

* * *

"The new animal took a look around and immediately went and chose a place next to the laziest, greediest beast in the stable. When the master saw this, he put a yoke on him at once and took him back to the merchant," the old man, Shamda, told the younger men as they walked from the water hole.

"We've heard this one already," one of the men complained, shivering slightly in the chilly early morning air.

Shamda looked confused for a moment. "Has it lost its meaning?"

His companion rolled his eyes. Shamda always meant well and his stories had useful messages woven in them, but sometimes he could make even the most peaceful person scream in frustration. "I mean you told it just now on the way down to the water hole."

A bright flash of light, brighter than the sun during the month of Narvesta, caught all four people's attention, and flared, catching their attention. They all turned to look and saw a naked figure lying on the ground, shivering.

They approached cautiously, unsure of just who or what they would find.

Sky-blue eyes opened, looking wildly around, fear and confusion clearly etched on his face.

One of the natives, the one who had been telling Shamda that they had already heard the story of the new animal and the lazy animal, crouched over the naked man, noting his pale skin, hair the color of sand, and eyes the color of the heavens.

"Who are you?" the native asked, curious as to why the gods would send a man, naked, to them.

"I don't know," said the man, panic in his voice.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

SG-1, accompanied by SG-3 and 5, traveled to PX1-986. Adam had finally translated the tablet that Daniel had told him, and the members of SG-1, that was supposedly important to finding the lost city of Atlantis. Unfortunately, Dr. Pierson couldn't join SG-1 to scout out the planet, looking for signs that would lead them to the Ancient outpost – he was scheduled to go off world with his own team the following day so Hammond sent Dr. Elmhurst in his stead.

Currently, SG-1 was busy making nice with the natives while SG-3 and 5 were busy securing the area and checking for signs of an Ancient super weapon.

They had also discovered something priceless and lost and now they were delivering it to the three people that missed it the most.

"Colonel," Major Pierce called out, his voice carefully schooled so as to not give away his excitement and ruin the surprise. "We found something you might want to see." He had to fight to keep the smirk off his face and only partially succeeding in doing so.Pierce's team accompanied someone, forming some sort of honor guard, down the stairs happy to present the Colonel and his team with their wayward archeologist.

Jack and Sam, followed by Teal'c walked almost dazedly towards the man wrapped in voluminous blue robes.

"Daniel?" Jack called, barely believing what he was seeing before him.

"Arrom," a native supplied.

"Arrom?" Jack asked, confusion in his voice, not recognizing the word.

"It means naked one," Shamda supplied, vaguely smiling.

"That's how we found him in the forest, two moons ago," the dark haired native supplied.

"Damn, I owe Adam fifty bucks," Jack groused quietly, recalling the bet he had made with the Immortal about how Daniel would return to them.

"Seems he doesn't remember who he is," Pierce said, shifting in his stance slightly.

Sam approached Daniel hesitantly. "Daniel?" She smiled and reached out to touch her old friend, remembering how tactile he had been before, well, before the accident. "It's okay. It's me, Sam."

Daniel reached out and blocked her from touching him, startling Sam, looking at her with mistrust.

Teal'c looked at Daniel gravely, worry plainly etched across his facial features. "Do you not recognize us, Daniel Jackson?"

"I'm sorry," Daniel said and walked away.

"Not even me?" Jack called after him.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"What of DanielJackson?' Teal'c asked as SG-1, 3, and 5 was preparing to leave. They had spent enough time at the ruins and settlement and were preparing to turn the search effort over to another team.

"He's going home," Daniel said, exiting the tent.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Daniel stood with the others, watching intently as the blonde female – Sam, punched in certain areas of the small podium.

"That's a DHD," Daniel said suddenly.

"Yeees," Jack drawled, shifting his eyes over to look at his lost teammate.

"I remember that," Daniel said, smiling vaguely.

"Do you remember anything else?" Jack replied.

"Nothing yet Jim," was Daniel's response.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

On the other side of the wormhole, Daniel was greeted by a man that was bald and somewhat stocky in build. Looking at him, Daniel recalled feelings of friendship, kindness, and respect.

He looked around, taking in the grey cement and metal room, the ramp that led up to the Stargate, the uniformed men and women that filled the area.

"Welcome back Dr. Jackson," the man said, looking at him quizzically. "You don't remember me."

"No. Sorry."

"Neither do I," Jack said, making a smart-ass comment and earning him a look of annoyance which caused the smile to disappear from his face momentarily.

After that Jack escorted Daniel to the infirmary for a standard post-mission check up and a quick check to make sure that this was indeed Daniel.

"Do you remember that you owe me fifty bucks?" Jack asked as the teammates lead their friend from the Gateroom.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"He's Daniel sirs," Janet announced as she walked into the room. "There's just one problem," she added as she handed him his glasses.

"That's better," Daniel said, blinking slightly, happy to have everything back in focus.

As he was sitting there on the examination bed, in an olive-drab jumpsuit, fresh from a shower to wash away the smell of living in a settlement for two months were bathing wasn't always a high priority among the natives, he looked all around him, examining the walls, the contents, the people that were clustered around trying to act like they weren't staring at him.

The place felt familiar, like he had spent a good period of time in the facility.

As he was sitting there, he felt a funny-odd, alarming, sensation run up his spine and into the base of his skull. It felt like someone was hitting him in the head repeatedly with a very large and sturdy stick.

Daniel swung around, looking for some sort of external source of his pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone or anything that was doing something untoward to him.

"What? What's wrong?" Jack asked, noticing the panicky look on Daniel's face.

Daniel screwed up his eyes and held his head. "Something's not right," he said.

Just then Adam walked in, his eyes shifting about, searching for the source of his Immortal warning system going off. "Janet," he called out and then saw Jack standing there. "Colonel, I just got back from PF2-124 and I heard the weirdest thing," he suddenly broke off, seeing the familiar figure before him.

"Daniel," he breathed, surprised beyond anything he had experienced in the past year.

Daniel however was experiencing a tremendous amount of panic. When he looked at this new person, he got terrifying images of someone with longish hair, his face partially coated with blue paint and wearing a skull mask, riding a pale horse with a sword in one hand. He saw blood, fire, and destruction. He saw Death.

"Get back! Get away from me!" Daniel yelled in Greek, fear coursing through his body, surprising everyone with his outburst.

Adam, quickly assessing the situation raised his hands in a universal gesture that he meant no harm and slowly backed out of the room, mouthing at Jack that they needed to talk soon.

"Daniel, calm down," Janet said soothingly. "No one is going to hurt you."

"What was that?" Daniel asked, his body trembling in fear.

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit frustrated. "Teal'c, go find Siler and tell him to stay away." Turning to his long-lost friend, he smiled. "Danny, let's get you to your quarters."

"What was that?" Daniel insisted, doing his best to ignore visions of swords and blue lightening that were dancing through his mind.

"It's a long story and we will explain everything. But we'll do it tomorrow, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you," Jack said, trying to calm Daniel down. "Sam, tell Teal'c that we are having the post-op meeting in your lab. Doc, you're invited too."

Daniel looked at Jack like a child looking to an adult for safety and reassurance that everything was going to fine. "Promise?"

Jack smiled tightly. "I promise. Let's go see the room we've prepared for you and tomorrow we'll sit down and talk about what you felt."

With that, Daniel jumped off the bed and followed Jack out of the infirmary.

"Has your hair always been like that?' Daniel suddenly asked.

"Like what?" Jack responded, fingering the disheveled grey mess atop his head.

"Never mind," was Daniel's response as he looked away.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know. 

The stuff with Shamda and the planet Daniel was found on was taken from Gateworld(dot)net; I wanted to incorporate some of how season seven started into my AU. I will be mentioning stuff that occurred in the season in regards to how it fits into my world, but I won't be turning this into a rehash of season seven.

Obviously Daniel doesn't remember stuff about his past and his status as one of the oldest Immortals on the planet (yet). As far as I know I won't be going too deeply into the personality of Danil and his violent side as I did in The Immortal Spacemonkey, but it will be dealt with from time to time. Also, we might find out some more stuff about Daniel and Methos as the story progresses.

Anyway, thanks for reading my stuff and if you've left a review (hint, hint) or put me or the story on a list, a double thank you to you!

Cheers!


	3. Chapter 2

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Jack left Daniel alone in the VIP room they had given him. He called the main control room and had them page Adam, Siler, and Abbott. He told Walter to tell them to meet him in Carter's lab and to ask General Hammond to join them if he wished.

When he arrived down at Carter's lab, he found Sam fiddling with the computer.

"What'cha doing?" he asked.

Sam didn't even bother to look up. "I've tapped into the security system and I'm feeding the cameras a loop of nothing. I figured that you wouldn't want anyone to overhear or see anything."

"Nice," Jack said, grateful that his team could read his mind at times. It made getting the job done so much easier when he didn't have to explain everything to people.

They waited for everyone to file in: Hammond, Janet, Siler, Abbott, Teal'c, and Adam before Jack closed the door and Sam started up the loop of nothing to cover their backsides with security.

"What was that scene with Adam all about?" Janet asked.

Adam grimaced. "He was feeling my Quickening as I approached and the sensation freaked him out," the Immortal replied, straightening his olive green over-shirt fractionally.

"He doesn't remember being Immortal? He still is an Immortal right?" Abbott asked, ever the Watcher. His fingers itched for a pen that could write all of this down. Unfortunately, the nature of the SGC and what went on under the mountain could never be fully revealed to the Watchers, unless he wanted be fired from the organization for turning in such fantastical bullshit and then be sent straight to Leavenworth (if he wasn't shot first).

Adam sighed. "He feels the same way he did before he Ascended, Immortal-wise. The power of his Quickening signature is off the scale, hell it could be even more so than it was before he died. We don't know what a year of Ascension will do to an Immortal," he said, as he sat down on one of the stools in the lab.

"Have any of you," Hammond said, directing his question at Dr. Pierson, Sgt. Siler, and CWO Abbott, "ever heard of an Immortal losing his memory like this?"

Adam and Abbott shared a look. Siler looked blank

"There have been a few cases of temporary amnesia among Immortals brought on my stress or traumatic events. Also, a few of the older ones' memories have holes in them due to time or something tragic occurring," Abbott said, remembering a few key individuals and events whispered about in Watcher lore.

"He told us that he was crossing some major lines by helping us," Sam said. "Maybe as a form of punishment the others took his memories."

"So making him forget who and what he was in hopes that he would get himself killed is the punishment set for him by the Ancients? What kind of messed up logic is that?" Jack asked.

"Maybe the memory loss is just temporary. I think he might have remembered a few of my more colorful escapades from the past," Adam said, looking thoughtful.

"Your _past_," Abbott sarcastically said. "So can I now officially confirm that you _aren't_ the newbie Immortal that you led everyone to believe?"

"No," Methos replied, looking at the Watcher with dark eyes.

Abbott rolled his eyes, grousing to himself that it was so unfair that he couldn't tell the whole truth about the Immortals he worked so closely with and was assigned to watch. Even if he were to write in their journals a fraction of what he knew, it would make him a superstar among the Watchers – or be known as a raving lunatic, he acknowledged grudgingly.

"I think he remembered something from my more _nomadic_ times and that's what freaked him out, along with the skull splitting headache he got when I came near. Honestly I can think of only one thing from my past that would have that kind of effect on Danil, so maybe it's a sign that his memories are just repressed rather than erased," Adam said, switching back from his older personality in a blink of an eye.

"Do we have to tell Daniel about his status as an Immortal? Can't we just not say anything and let him have a normal life?" Sam naively asked.

Siler jumped in to the conversation at this point. "When I first met Daniel, he told me that no matter how hard we try, we can't avoid the Game. Even if he stayed on Holy Ground, he would always be a part of it. Also, how would we explain away his lack of noticeable aging plus what if he ran into another Immortal and they went for his head? How kind is it to not let him know how to defend himself and why there are people who give him a massive headache and want to kill him?"

"It would seem," Teal'c rumbled, "the most merciful thing for us to do is to be honest with DanielJackson and allow the feline to escape from the container."

"That's let the cat out of the bag, T," Jack said. He could have sworn that the Big Guy was becoming more and more of a smart ass with each passing day. It was a thought that warmed his heart, knowing that he had something to do with it.

Teal'c responded with a nod of his head while letting a sly grin play upon his lips.

"So what now people? Who's going to tell Dr. Jackson the truth?" Hammond asked, his Texas twang deepening just a bit.

Jack looked at Sam and Teal'c. They looked expectantly back at him.

Shit.

"I will, but I want Adam to be there to fill in things that I can't explain," Jack sighed.

"Very well people," Hammond said and stood up from his bench stool. SG-1, I'll expect your mission reports on my desk by thirteen hundred hours, tomorrow. Good luck Colonel and Dr. Pierson, you're probably going to need it."

"Thank you sir," Jack heaved another sigh. While he was beyond ecstatic that his best friend, one of them anyways, was back on Terra Firma, completely healed and healthy and no longer a member of the Glow Club, his return would not be simple nor would it be without complications.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know. Its short I know, but I felt that the part about Jack and Methos telling Daniel about himself deserves its own chapter. Thank you to Lorilei for pushing me to post this chapter (I am glaring your general direction I hope you know).

Also, Don S. Davis is from southern Missouri (hoo-rah!) and in no way sounds like he's from Texas. I felt the same way when the show said that Cameron was from Kansas, but he has a drawl that marks him from the South. If he had more of a prairie twang, then I could buy it, but his voice isn't exactly right for the area. Just a small issue I have with accents.

Thank you for reading my stuff and giving it a chance. I can't begin to express how much I appreciate the kind reviews, people putting me on their lists, and just reading my story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.


	4. Chapter 3

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Daniel had spent a restless night in his quarters. His dreams were filled with terrifying visions of things he couldn't begin to understand how they fit into a normal person's life. He had had these dreams back on the planet he had been found on, but they had never been this intense.

He could hear people shouting and crying in his dreams. There were horses, blood, and battles between giant, warring armies. The languages were mixed. He could understand them with ease and recognized them as being members of different language families.

What really freaked him out, what caused him to wake up several times drenched in sweat were the swords. He saw images of people, though he couldn't always see their faces distinctly, coming at him (at least he assumed it was him) with swords. He felt the clash of swords run up his arms, as if he were actually there. Blood would sometimes be everywhere, coating him, the ground, and his opponent. He could even taste the salty, coppery tang of blood in his mouth. Daniel wasn't sure if it was his own or someone else's.

At the end of every scene involving swords, a beheading would occur and blue lightening would appear. The head would roll away from the body as the body crumpled onto the ground. Mist would rise from the ground and the fallen opponent then lightening would lash out from the headless body, touching everything with its vicinity. Explosions would occur as the lightening finally reached him, enveloping him, filling his being. Power, pure, raw power would fill him, causing him to scream in pain and ecstasy. It burned like fire and like ice. It was soothing and violent. It signaled defeat and death, but at the same time victory and continued life.

The last dream was filled with images of fighting someone in a warehouse. Someone, the blonde woman, Sam maybe, had been captured, made into a pawn to lure him into a supposed trap. He remembered people by his side, assisting him in rescuing the woman. Daniel also recalled slicing through his opponent's neck, severing his head and ending his life. The blue lightening came, destroying everything around him, filling him with the loser's strength and knowledge, giving him the power of his Quickening.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Daniel woke up in a start, gasping for breath.

He squinted as he looked over at the clock, he remembered what it was, and saw the digital read out as being 07:16 am. Deciding that going back to sleep at this point would be less than desirable, he got up and stumbled through the dark over to the small bathroom that was attached to the bedroom.

He took care of his bladder then turned on the shower. Quickly stripping, he stepped into the stall, letting the spray wash away the sweat from the restless night. Once he had lathered up and rinsed, he turned off the spray and stepped out of the stall. Wrapping an overly large, fluffy towel – definitely _not_ one of the standard issued towels the SG teams were issued, he moved over to the sink and began the ritual of shaving, using the items he found in the small medicine cabinet. It frustrated him that he could remember such mundane tasks, but not his life. Hell, even his name, Daniel Jackson sounded wrong to him.

As he was shaving, he nicked himself along the jaw line. Tilting his head up to look at the damage, he gasped in shock as he saw a thin tendril of blue lightening race along the cut, healing it instantly.

"Oh gods," he breathed. "What was that?" he stumbled backwards, hitting the wall, stunned that something from his bizarre nightmares would make it out of his mind and into the waking world.

There was knocking at his door but he ignored it, too stunned to answer.

Jack opened the door and stuck his head inside. "Daniel?" he called out and saw through a reflection that Daniel was in the bathroom, standing there with his back to the wall, a terrified expression on his face.

"Daniel!" Jack said sharply, hoping to catch his attention, as he walked further into the room. "What's going on?"

Daniel was breathing heavily. "I had a dream last night about lightening and then I was shaving and I cut myself."

"Oh," Jack said, understanding immediately what Daniel was talking about. "You cut yourself and the lightening healed it," he stated.

Daniel, with a towel wrapped around his middle, came out of the bathroom to face Jack. "Is that normal? I never saw anything like that on the planet you found me on? Is this an effect of being here?"

Jack smiled grimly. "It's normal for you. Actually that's part of the reason why I am here. Why don't you finish getting dressed and I'll be back in about five minutes?"

Daniel nodded numbly, and turned towards the wardrobe and chest to find clothes provided for him as Jack quietly backed out the door.

Once the door was closed, Jack walked down the hall, out of the hearing range of the guard on duty. He pulled out his cell phone and called Adam. He spoke briefly into the phone, telling him that Daniel had cut himself and had seen the results. Jack then asked Adam to come down in about another five minutes, giving him time to prepare Daniel for his arrival.

Once the five minutes were up, Jack re-entered Daniel's quarters, finding his friend sitting on the bed wearing another ill-fitting jumpsuit, examining his wedding cup and the picture of Shar'ae.

"Hey," Jack said and closed the door behind him.

"There's so much that I know I know, but I can't remember. This woman in the picture, this cup, I know they are important, but I can't remember why. Why did this happen?" Daniel asked without looking up.

"You apparently broke some rules Danny and I guess maybe losing your memories is part of the punishment. But hey, obviously things are coming back. You remembered what a DHD was yesterday."

"I've also been getting flashed of things, violent things," Daniel said. "What kind of fucked up life did I have where my life is filled with battles, swords, and people losing their heads?"

"You're also remembering your potty mouth," Jack observed. "Anyhow, your odd memories are what I am here to talk to you about. First, Adam is going to be here in about a minute or so. When he gets close, you'll feel something like a really bad headache at the base of your skull. It's normal, according to Adam. He said that when he enters the room, make eye contact and the pounding will pass."

"That's the guy from yesterday," Daniel remembered the unfortunate encounter.

"Yeah, that's him. Just remember that you two are friends and have been friends for a long time. He doesn't mean you any harm, so just relax," Jack advised.

Daniel of course did the exact opposite and when Adam approached, coming close enough to trigger his Immortal early warning system, Daniel grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.

Adam came in and shut the door firmly behind him, causing Daniel to look up. He made eye contact with the man and magically the pain faded away.

"Danil," Methos greeted his old friend and extended his arm.

Daniel automatically grabbed it, grasping the forearm in a warrior handshake from a time long ago.

"Why do you call me Danil when everyone else calls me Daniel?" Daniel asked, sitting back down on the bed as Jack and Methos pulled up a pair of chairs for them to sit in.

"Danil was then name you were going by when we first met a long time ago. Daniel Jackson is the name that you started using about fifteen or so years ago," the Immortal said.

"What? Why would I have two different names?"

Jack looked at Methos and shrugged, letting the Old Man take the lead on this one.

"We met over four thousand years ago. You've changed the name others call you many times over the years, just as I have. People here know me as Adam Pierson while you, and a few select others, know me as Methos," he explained.

"Four thousand years? What kind of crap is this? Do you think I'm stupid? I have amnesia, not a case of mental retardation, thank you," Daniel snapped, not liking having someone screw with him.

Adam, sitting there, doing his best to keep his expression neutral, rubbed his hands absently against his blue BDUs. "You are an Immortal Daniel same as me. We are not completely human like Jack here. We are a race of people that live, grow up, and eventually die. If our first death is a violent and an unnatural one, we come back, stuck in the age that we died at. That headache that you felt when I came in is a warning system that we all have to let us know that another is near. I will warn you that besides us, there is another Immortal on base. Roy Siler was a student of yours at one point. He died in World War II and you became his teacher shortly after the war ended. So when you run into him, you'll get that same sensation, though it probably won't be as intense as it is when I come near you – he's young."

Daniel shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't," he stopped himself, tripping over his own thoughts. ""Four thousand years is ridiculous! Humans don't live that long."

"Humans don't, but we do," Methos replied, looking serious. "You are somewhere around five thousand years old, the same as me. Most other immortals out there are younger than us, much younger, but we have no need to discuss our true age with anyone, though Jack, Carter, and Teal'c are probably the only mortals that know how old you really are. If other Immortals, especially the young, the greedy, and the psychotic were to learn about how old you really are, they will hunt you down, non-stop."

"I'm not saying that I believe you, because you sound pretty psychotic yourself," Daniel said, "but why would younger Immortals come after me? What's so special about me?"

"What's special is that you've survived for five thousand years. In the time you've been alive, you've amassed a significant amount of power that many would love to take from you."

Daniel shook his head, not understanding in the least. "What power are you talking about? I'm just a normal person, except for the weird blue lightening," he protested, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You are a normal person to a certain extent; however, you are an Immortal. Our kind has been around since the dawn of human existence, if the stories are correct. The longer you live, generally, the more powerful you become," Adam built the story up, for Daniel's sake and for his own. Telling his old friend about the Game was not going to be a pleasant one.

"Why would I want to become more powerful? Is there a point to this?"

Adam smiled grimly. "Supposedly, in the end, there can be only one of us left."

"Huh?"

"As far back as I can remember Immortals have fought one another in battles to the death. The victor, in the end, absorbs the power, strength, and knowledge of the loser," the Old Man said, carefully watching Danil for a violent, but understandable, reaction.

"Battles to the death," he said slowly as the meaning of the words fell home. "We fight with swords, right?"

"Generally yes, that's right. Our battles, when we choose them, are always one on one, out of the sight of the general population, and never on Holy Ground. We do not break that last rule. Sometimes the other two are a little flexible, but never the last one," Adam lectured his friend.

Daniel had been examining the bedspread, tracing the pattern with his thumb, but suddenly looked up at the other Immortal with fear. "Are you here to kill me?"

Adam let out a small sigh. "No. We do not _have to_ fight each other. There is nothing that says that two Immortals have to fight each other. We've been friends for a long time and there have been plenty of times when taking my head would have been the smart thing for you to do, but you didn't."

"Daniel," Jack spoke up, looking sadly at his friend, regretting that they had to tell Daniel about the Game. "Adam here is your friend, along with Siler. Remember that you were Siler's teacher at one point."

"Teach him what?" Daniel asked confused once again. "Wait, I remember something about coming back to the U.S. after a war and finding someone – a guy that was about to be killed and he didn't know why."

"Traditionally, we will from time to time take on a new Immortal and teach them how to fight with a sword. Siler was one of your more recent students. You are very good with a sword and an even better teacher."

"I don't know if I can," Daniel said, looking down at his hands as if he couldn't fathom the idea of them holding a weapon in them.

"Yes you can," Jack said, a determined look on his face. "If you don't, eventually someone will come along and challenge you. If you don't learn to defend yourself again, you'll lose your head and someone will get your power. You told me once that you were pretty powerful and that if the wrong person got a hold of your Quickening, it would be really bad, not to mention that I would lose a really good friend, this time forever. There'd be no Oma, no Ascension, no joining of the glow-club. You would be gone for good."

"Why? What's the point of all of this?"

"Supposedly in the end, the final victor, with all of the Quickening of the Immortals in him or her will have the power to rule the world or condemn it," Adam replied. "If it's the latter, then they will make the Goa'uld look like Gandhi."

"Who's Gandhi?" Daniel asked his voice full of curiosity.

"He was a leader in India that believed in non-violent resistance to British," Adam replied. "You should know - you met the guy once."

Daniel scrunched his forehead, thinking hard. "Short guy, bald, glasses, wore robes, not an overly successful lawyer," he recalled. "His teachings influenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Aung San Suu Kyi. He was one of the gentlest souls I had ever met, but he had a will made out of steel." It wasn't much, but it proved to the others that Daniel's memories were still there, just repressed.

The more he thought about the person, moving his eyes from side to side, searching the depths of his mind for the missing information.

"I disagreed with him about his message to the British when the invasion of England by the Axis Powers looked eminent. I told him that by lying down before one's enemies, no matter how noble the idea was, was selfish for you were sacrificing other people's lives. I argued that violence was acceptable when defending your life and the lives of others. We never saw eye to eye and then he was assassinated. We never got a chance to continue to argue," Daniel said quietly, looking far off into the distance, as if he weren't really there, but somewhere in the past.

"You've met a lot of interesting people in your time Danil. Some were pretty famous, some weren't so notorious but they affected you probably more so, especially your wives," Adam grinned.

"I'm married?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"You have been in the past. You aren't now," Jack hedged.

"So who's this?" Daniel inquired, picking up the framed photograph of Shar'ae. "I must have loved her.'

"You tell me," Jack said, his smile fading just a bit. "Why don't you come to breakfast with us and then afterwards, go through our mission reports? They might help you remember what we've done here."

"Fine," Daniel said slowly, pretty positive that Jack was holding something back, as if Jack was unsure of what his reaction would be. "Can you first tell me why I freaked out in the infirmary when you came near me?" he suddenly asked, looking at Adam

Adam stiffened slightly. "I am guessing you saw an image of me on horseback, with my face painted blue or with a skull mask on. It was pretty violent, wasn't it?"

Daniel nodded; there was a worried look on his face.

"I don't think you need the full details just yet. What you saw was a period in my life where I rode with three other companions, laying waste to the land. We were a nightmare and a half and were pretty famous. We were known as the Four Horsemen and eventually we even got a mention in the Bible as being the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Granted that the Book of Revelations is full of conjecture, symbolism, and code, but it was partially based on a long ago story of four people that were known as War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. I was Death," the former Horseman said, looking grim.

"I didn't, I mean, I wasn't a part of your group, was I?" Daniel asked, his eyes wide, though in his mind's eye, he was seeing scenes of long ago.

"No. You weren't one of us technically, but you were our friend for some stupid reason. Well," Adam amended himself, "you weren't friends with Caspian. Caspian was a cannibal and you were pretty disgusted with him. Hell, nobody liked Caspian, even us. However, the other members of the Horsemen are long dead. Kronos, Silas, and Caspian were killed by a friend of mine and me a couple of years back."

"You miss them, don't you?" Daniel observed, watching the other Immortal closely.

Adam gave him a small smile. "Sometimes I do. I don't miss the mass murdering and the destruction that we were responsible for, but I miss the friendship."

"Well, on that cheery note," Jack rolled his eyes, "I'm going to go and take this opportunity to plunge q-tips deep into my ears so I will never have to hear about cannibalism again before breakfast. Anyone care to join me?" he said and stood up, his knees popping.

Daniel also stood up. "Sure, but I think I will hold off on the q-tip thing. One last question," he said, and then amended when Jack and Adam gave him wry looks. "Make it the last question at least for the next thirty seconds. In general, people on this base don't know about Immortals, do they?"

Adam shook his head. "No. Other than me and Siler, only Jack, Sam, Teal'c, the General, Dr. Fraiser, and Chief Warrant Officer Abbott know about us. We don't want the government at large to find out about us, least they start experimenting on us like guinea pigs."

"Oh, well that's comforting," was all Daniel could say, with more than just a trace of sarcasm, as he calmly followed the two men out of his quarters and towards the cafeteria. However, his mind continued to race around like a meth addict on a three-day drug binge. Images of what he assumed were his past was interspersed with memories of his time among the people on the base. While many things were pretty scary, what stuck out was the feeling of friendship and brotherhood he had between several of the people, especially the three that found him on that planet.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Be a pal and hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

The bit about Gandhi came from Wikipedia and a book I read a long time ago about his life. Supposedly Gandhi wasn't an overly successful lawyer, but he learned how to organize and speak to people during the times he practiced law. Also, Gandhi did suggest to the Allies an extreme solution to ending WWII, by laying down arms and giving into the Nazis. It wasn't because he thought that the Nazis were right, but to continue to fight and cause more bloodshed was less a desirable way to act. I do not agree with this opinion in this and I don't think the character of Daniel Jackson would either. Also, look up Aung San Suu Kyi if you get the chance, not to be Bono-like (I'm not a Cause-Head or a Media Whore like him). It will do you some good.

Oh yeah…ladies, don't deny that you were enjoying the imagery of Daniel Jackson in nothing but a towel or in the shower. Wipe the drool up before someone slips in it.


	5. Chapter 4

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Over the next two weeks, the members of SG-1, Daniel included, helped to destroy Anubis' new weapon. It hadn't been easy for anyone, especially when they had to return to the site of the radiation accident that had killed Daniel, thereby paving the way for his ascension.

Over the course of events that took place between his homecoming and the destruction of Anubis' super-weapon, a majority of Daniel's memories of his time with the SGC had returned to him. However his longer-term memory, his memories of his life as an Immortal were slowly trickling back in. It was probably a good thing for some of the memories that were coming back were pretty horrific. Several times he had woken up drenched in sweat or screaming, or both.

However, due to this memory overload he was experiencing, he was able to remember his past wives, from Shar'ae to Orinda to even a woman he thought had been his first wife.

Her name had been Narda. He couldn't remember how they had met, but he knew that she had been a member of a tribe he had joined that had lived around the Black Sea. She had been beautiful, the favorite daughter of the tribe's leader. Her long, thick, dark hair and light-colored eyes had many men asking her father for, but she had wanted the stranger, the one they called Danil. While it was a patrilineal society, her father, Abtin, could not find it in himself to refuse his daughter. Also, he was glad of the marriage between his daughter and the stranger. He was a fierce warrior, blessed with a gift from the sky father.

In the end, though they never had any children, they lived happily together until Narda had passed away from old age (though old age of that time period was very relative compared to today's idea of old age).

Remembering Shar'ae, Narda, and some of the other people that he treasured, gave him hope that all of his memories would be returned to him eventually, that this wasn't permanent.

Finally, after everything had settled down, Adam decided that it was time for Daniel to begin working with a sword. After a word with Siler, it was arranged that the two would meet in the gym at around 2230 each night and somehow the cameras would be disabled but security would be none the wiser to their clandestine activities.

Adam and Siler had in their possession Daniel's swords and knives, which were returned to him. Daniel picked up the Jain, feeling its weight and balance. The grip felt familiar and right in his hand, as if it had been there for countless years as a constant companion. By merely holding it, memories of Master Kai came flooding back into his mind. He remembered hours of planting rice in a flooded paddy, pulling a crude plow in a field, cleaning out animal stalls, and countless hours of practice learning this new style of fighting.

He also remembered Master Kai, a slightly stooped, but still very able despite his advanced years, presenting him with the sword before he departed for the West. Master Kai had also given him something to think about on his journey back to the lands beyond the Middle Kingdom.

"It is easy to hate Danil, but harder to love but which do you think will grant your soul peace," he had said, recognizing something disturbing in the Immortal's eyes. "Also, forgiveness is an aspect of love; it would do you well to remember that." While Danil had never done anything untoward during his time with him and his people, Master Kai could see something lurking that only needed the right push and it would be free to bring about more pain and suffering.

"I will remember that Master," Danil had said gravely, taking the words to heart, but unfortunately they got lost on his way back to the Western world.

With that, Danil began his journey back towards the West where he eventually ended up in a French monastery for some much needed rest. The journey had been long and difficult. He had run into several people that had objected to him, forcing him to fight for his life. By the time he had made it to the monks, his sword had been well-used, his mind stained with horrific memories.

"Daniel," Jack called out, worried that his friend seemed lost. He had been invited to watch Daniel's first workout and was hanging around the edges of the room, careful to stay out of the way of the Immortals, least he end up accidentally shish-ka-bobbed.

"Sorry," Daniel said slowly, dragging himself out of the past. "I remembered when I received this sword."

"That's good. Let's see what else you remember," Adam said, careful to keep his tone light. "I want to start out with knife fighting."

They stood opposite each other on the mats; each of them had training combat knives, the edges worn down to prevent serious injury. While they would have healed, it would have been hard to explain the amount of blood left over and Methos wasn't sure if Daniel was ready for something that close and violent.

At first they started on knife take away techniques, moving slowly then speeding up as they progressed. Once Methos was convinced that Daniel had it down, they moved on to actual combative knife techniques.

They squared off, each of them armed. They went through the motion so trapping, blocking, and simulating vicious cuts on the ribs, spine, heart, groin, and neck.

From Jack's position it looked like a graceful, but deadly dance. Both of the opponents, moving with fluidity precision and at high-speed, knew each other's moves, but leaving room for occasional flashes and surprises. To Jack, their techniques looked to be a combination of Silat, Systema, Capoeira, Muay Thai, and dirty street fighting.

From the inside, it seemed as if time has slowed down. Both combatants, drenched in sweat, were matching each other move for move. What one attempted, the other countered. Neither one of them was willing to give up, to give in.

Daniel, for his part, was lost in the fight. He didn't have to think about what he was going to do. He allowed his instincts to take over, letting each move flow from one move to the next. It felt natural, as if this was something he had done countless times, over and over through the ages until it became second nature.

Finally, Daniel made the mistake of dropping his guard for a split second, giving Methos enough of an opportunity to roll over his arms and run his knife along Daniel's throat. Maybe it was the look in Methos' eyes, or the repressed knowledge that neck wounds were dangerous for Immortals resurfacing, but it scared the crap out of Daniel.

Daniel reacted by bringing his knee up, driving it into the crotch of the other Immortal, followed by a right fist that connected to the underside of Methos' chin and a cross with the left.

Methos, clearly not expecting this, was at first doubled over by the blinding pain his nuts were causing him to feel and then went flying backwards through the air as Daniel's fists met his head and face.

Daniel stood there over Methos' prone form, breathing hard. He looked at the other Immortal and then looked down at his own hands in shock. Slowly he backed up, wrapping his arms around him in a familiar gesture. He stood there for awhile, breathing hard, lost in whatever was going through his mind. Eventually, after several long minutes he came back to reality. With one look at Jack and Siler, who were both looking at him in shock and awe, he turned and ran.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Be a pal and hit the shiny review button and let me know.

Thank you to everyone who has dropped me a review and put me or the story on a list. I really do appreciate it. Thank you to Forestwife for the hints about my Vista issues. I can type again!

Also, thank you Lorilei for continuing to push me to write me – even in the parking lot of Pizza Hut Park – and not letting me slack off despite the road trip. Hope you made it home alive and didn't talk to strangers. Virtual non-chocolate cookies to you!


	6. Chapter 5

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

After an hour of fruitless searching, Jack checked the one place he didn't want to check, but the most likely place he would find Daniel: The storage room, the one where he had found Daniel in when he had been addicted the sarcophagus. That memory left a particularly bitter taste in his mouth. 

"Daniel?" Jack called out cautiously as he slowly opened the door. The light was out, leaving the room draped in darkness. He didn't want to go storming in, scaring Daniel and putting himself in danger. He wasn't sure how Daniel would react to being startled or if it would even be Daniel that he would face. Jack flashed back to when they were faced with Daniel's older, nastier side: Danil.

There was a slight rustling of clothing that came from a back corner.

"Danny, come on," Jack plead with his friend.

"Back here Jack," was Daniel's soft reply.

"I'm turning on the light," he warned his friend and groped along the wall, searching for the switch. Once found, the storage room was lit up, showing that it was now filled with reports from past missions, requisition forms, physical fitness records, and countless other pieces of paper that had been deemed worthy of hanging on to.

In the back corner was Daniel. He was sitting there, huddled, his arms wrapped around his legs. He was breathing heavily, more from panic than any physical exertion.

Jack, after first making sure that Daniel didn't have any weapons (not that that would make much of a difference if he decided to attack) and sat down opposite of him, ignoring the creaking and snapping that was emanating from his knees.

"What happened?" Jack asked, warm brown eyes looking appraisingly at his friend.

"I remembered something," Daniel said.

"I figured as much," Jack said, slipping into familiar sarcasm. "What specifically did you remember this time?"

Daniel shook his head, as if willing the images that danced around in the forefront of him mind to go away.

"I've been remembering a lot of stuff since I came back to Earth. Some of it good, like remembering my year with Shar'ae," at the mention of her name, a smile flashed across her face.

"Okay. I know you've been remembering stuff. Five thousand years of memories will take some time to process. It's probably healthier for you to slowly remember things. Having everything dumped into your head all at once isn't good for anyone," Jack said quietly. "What happened with Adam? When he got inside of your guard and pressed his knife to your neck, you freaked. I know that your neck is the most at risk part of your body. What memory did that trigger?"

"It was more than just realizing that the neck is the most vulnerable area for Immortals. I remembered more details from the time when I did some pretty bad stuff," Daniel said, sounding miserable.

"Which time?"

"There was more than one?" Daniel looked up at Jack with horror.

Jack sighed. "I don't claim to know everything there is to know about your past. I do know that there were a few periods in your life where things got loopy for you. What specifically did you remember?"

"I remember how things were after fighting with Alexander," Daniel sighed.

"Oh," was all Jack could come up with as a response.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Hooves thundered down a narrow, rocky path. Deinol (or Danil as he was sometimes known as) was in the lead, sitting astride a dark brown horse, sword in hand, looking fearsome and dangerous. He was coated in blood, none of it his. He wore a chiton (two rectangles of linen cloth fastened together at the shoulders that fell to just above knee level), belted at the waist, and over this he wore an armored shirt. While he didn't need to worry about not dying, if he were to die from a stray arrow shot or the like, it would mess up his plans and interfere with his ability to get paid. Also, he went without the himation; cloaks would only get in the way. He didn't need the drama of a cloak flying behind him; the blood, muck, and fire would provide enough drama for today's events.

He led four others, scum belonging to the warlord, along the path. He had been hired by a local warlord that had been a bit pissed that the people of the village resisted against his rule. As a result, he had been hired to teach the villagers a lesson.

They rode into town, setting fire to people's homes, smashing stalls at the market, beating people savagely, killing those few individuals who got the bright idea of trying to stop the raiders.

As they stood in the in town's square, watching the carnage and letting the miserable rain dampen everything, Danil noticed one villager running towards them with a spear in hand. Before he even thought about warning his companions, the man threw it hard, launching it into the air. It flew through the air in an arcing path and came down, impaling the man next to him. With that as the apparent signal, arrows rained down on the remaining raiders, hitting them all.

Danil was luckier than the others, who were killed instantly. While he did get shot, none of them were lethal. He was able to pull out the ones that hit his arms. Unfortunately his horse was also hit. The animal bucked wildly, throwing him off its back and then had the courtesy to run away.

Pissed, Danil looked around for the giant of a man that had launched the attack that had resulted in his fellow raiders' deaths. While he did not care about their fate, for they were only with him at the request of the warlord that had hired him, he was pissed that he had gotten shot _and_ had lost his horse. Horses were expensive after all!

Through the smoke and haze, Danil spied his attacker running towards him with a sword in hand. When he got close enough, Danil could not detect any sort of Quickening signature emanating from the man.

With a savage grin, Danil jumped to his feet, his sword at the ready, prepared to meet this fool head on. He knew that despite the man's size, he was no match for him. He was only mortal after all, as the cliché went.

Having pasted on a savage smile, Danil met the human, their swords clashing. They slashed at each other, moving agilely across the muddy stretch of land. Meeting blow for blow, the warrior and the mercenary fought a battle worthy of the gods' notice. Neither of them was willing to give, no matter how much it took. Tadeo was there to protect the lives of his villagers, his family and friends. Danil was there to satisfy his thirst for battle, blood, and money.

At one point in the fight, Danil slid a little in the soupy mud, allowing Tadeo to strike him, nicking his neck on the left side, just above the collar bone. While it was not a fatal or even dangerous wound, it infuriated Danil, causing him to roar in fury.

He batted Tadeo's sword aside, fueled by rage, rage at him-self for allowing a fucking mortal near his neck, rage that this mere child would dare to stand against him.

After that, it was over in a flash. Danil caught the man with a maneuver that he had learned from the old bastard, better known as Methos and disarmed him. Without hesitating, he drew back his sword and swung cleanly beheading the mortal. While beheadings were the traditional way to kill and Immortal, they worked just as well for mortals. The only difference was that there was no blue lightening once the deed was done.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"What then?" Jack asked, fascinated and horrified at the same time. "Was that when you finally gave up your life as a merc?"

Daniel laughed, it was a hollow sound. "No, that moment of clarity happened probably five or six years later. I went on to torch the rest of the village and after that I went back to the warlord. Abdon, the warlord who hired me, was pissed that his four men had been killed. He blamed me, which, okay, was partially justifiable, and decided that I wasn't going to be paid," he said, a mocking tone in his voice.

"And?" Jack pressed, making rolling motions with his fingers wanting the story to continue.

"I was pissed, so in order to make myself feel better I killed the bastard and several of his buddies."

"Weren't his other friends a bit upset that you had done that? Did they just let you go?"

Daniel smiled at that. "No. They were annoyed with me, so they killed me back and buried my body in a shallow grave after pissing on it."

"Oh that is gross. You could have left the last part out you know?" Jack said, pulling a face.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Jack, you don't know what gross is until you've lived in a time before indoor plumbing. People would crap in a pot and then throw their shit, literally, out into the street and if you were really lucky, you'd get hit with it."

Jack groaned. "So what about what happened in the gym? Are you going to be okay?"

Daniel paused for a second, his arms wrapped around his torso, his back pressed up against the concrete wall. "Yeah, I think I will be. Five thousand years is a lot to process."

"No shit," Jack replied. "How much do you think you remember, in terms of years?"

The Immortal sighed. "I definitely remember my time as being the world's biggest asshole of that particular era. I remember probably just about everything from the last five centuries, but there are holes everywhere else. There are so many details that are slowly coming back. I mean right now I can clearly remember my time with Alexander, I remember my serial killer days, the time I spent with the Onondaga, I remember seeing the Coliseum being built. However, there are so many gaps in my memory and they are slowly being filled, but there is no rhyme or reason as to what comes back when. It's so frustrating!"

"Daniel, I can't even begin to imagine what this is like for you. However, you need to relax and let your memories come back without allowing them to overwhelm you. What if something comes back to you in the middle of a fight? Do you think Joe Blow Immortal is going to give you a chance to sit down and process everything? No, he's going to whack your head off and leave us without a friend once again, this time for ever."

Daniel looked over at his best friend and offered up a small smile. "You know, I remember that you once told me to get my head out of my ass when we were stuck on that planet that had a fixation on Gladiators."

"Yeah, and you still don't make for a very good Russell Crowe despite your skills with sharp, pointing weapons, but the advice is still good. Deal with it and let us help you. You aren't alone and at least here, until the Goa'uld decide to shoot our collective asses off once again, you are safe. All of us, me, Carter, Teal'c, Adam, Siler, Fraiser, and even the General will help you."

The newly descended Immortal offered up another small smile. "Do you think Adam will still be up for some practice time?"

"Yeah, he probably would be, but if not, you always have me. I may not be in your guys' league with swords and stuff, but I do have my special-ops training and maybe we could bribe Teal'c to help. He's pretty willing to help with anything if you promise him a Star Wars marathon," Jack said and slowly stood up, feeling his knees pop and crack.

He offered a hand to Daniel who took it gratefully.

"You're a good friend Jack," Daniel said.

"You bet your ass I am," Jack shot back, grinning at his friend.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. 

Thank you for dropping me a review; it really warms my heart (especially after having the kind of days at work that I have been having lately) to see a review alert sitting in my mailbox. Also, thank you for putting me or the story on a list and even for just reading my stuff. I do appreciate it.

Also, the stuff about the clothing from Ancient Greece came from a couple of web sites (I googled it, wondering what people actually wore back then - I had a sneaking suspicion that people didn't really dress like Xena) that I looked at. I don't remember which ones though. Sorry.


	7. Chapter 6

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Things had been going fairly smoothly for SG-1. Sam had been working on the designs for a new naquadah power generator and so far the upgrades were coming along smoothly. Teal'c had completed another training cycle for the new recruits into the Stargate program; he had declared the newest class to be adequate, but in need of true field experience. Jack had finally finished up three weeks of paperwork that Hammond had been yelling at him to get done for the past two weeks.

Daniel had also been busy straightening out his life after death. He had filled out all of the necessary forms necessary to get himself off the MIA list and back among the living – officially.

As he filled out the last form, in triplicate, with Jack hovering over him like a helicopter, he suddenly realized why when he had died before (before the Stargate) things had been much easier. "I remember when I died back in the Sixties."

"Oh really? Let me guess, too much LSD even for a groovy Immortal cat like yourself," Jack queried, curious about Daniel and his life during the time of peace, love, and understanding.

Daniel laughed at that. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? I had been living in Chicago for about a year in the middle part of the decade. I had been invited to a party at a friend of a friend's apartment that wasn't too far from my place. I had nothing better to do at the time, so I thought, why not? I'd kick back, enjoy myself, have a nice conversation, and listen to some cool music, that kind of thing. This one idiot had brought some really bad pot – pretty much ditch weed and not a whole lot of THC. Everyone was pretty annoying thinking they were high, but weren't. The smell alone was bad enough to choke a donkey. I got sick of the idiots and decided to walk home. It wasn't too far away, and the night air was pretty nice."

Jack looked at his quizzically. "So you didn't touch the stuff," he asked, not quite believing that his friend had been a teetotaler about drugs in the Sixties. The man was an Immortal and it wasn't like drugs would kill him dead.

Daniel smiled. "Not that night," he said. "Anyway, to make a long story a tad shorter, I was walking down the road, not really paying attention, but at the time I had thought I was close enough to the side of the road and wouldn't get hit. Unfortunately for me, a car came along and hit me. I got mowed down by a powder-blue Buick driven by a seventy year-old man who was going about fifty miles an hour, at least according to my Watcher at the time. I had barely left the parking lot of the apartment that I had been at. The damn thing slammed into me and I then slammed into the windshield which then catapulted me up and back. Eventually I hit the ground about twenty feet from where I had started, one hundred percent dead. From what I had been told, it was pretty grizzly – my face got turned into hamburger."

Jack looked slightly disturbed at hearing this. "Is there a point to this Daniel or are you trying to make me lose the hamburger I ate for lunch?"

"Sorry," he said. "The point was I didn't die alone, away from the eyes of mortals. Nope, I got to die in front of pretty much everyone at the party. Cops were called, reports were made, and my dead body was taken to the morgue. I obviously got better, but by the time I had healed and come back to life, Jerry Goddard was officially dead. I had to leave just about everything behind. I managed to sneak back into my apartment and grab a few things like my swords, some money, and whatnot. After that, I just disappeared. I moved back to Egypt and no one was any the wiser. I didn't have to make sure I was using the correct color of ink on the correct forms that need to be reproduced enough times to kill a whole forest!"

"Testy are we?" Jack asked, looking up at his friend as he fooled around with something that looked like a misshapen paper weight, tossing it from hand to hand. He briefly wondered if he could find two other similar objects and start juggling them.

Daniel looked up at his friend, noticing what he was doing. "Jack?"

"Yes Daniel?"

"Could you please put down my fossilized dinosaur poop?"

"Gah!" Jack yelled, dropping the object, much to Daniel's annoyance. "Why in the hell would you have something like that?" he asked, frantically scrubbing his hands on his green over-shirt.

The Immortal sighed. "It's a rock at this point Jack. It's not like I went out and scooped up a fresh pile this morning and stuck it on my desk for you to fiddle with."

Jack would have retorted with something devastatingly witty, but was interrupted by the base's intercom system requesting the presence of SG-1 in the briefing room.

"Duty calls," Jack said and grabbed Daniel's arm and hauled him out of his office.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Together they wound their way through the labyrinth-like hallways of the base as they made their way to the briefing room.

They took the elevator up to level 26 and made their way to the briefing room, where Carter, Teal'c, and the General were waiting patiently for them.

"Good morning sir," Jack said. "What's up?"

"Take a seat please," Hammond ordered as Carter passed two familiar folders to the late comers.

"Sir," Jack queried, as he sat down at the table across from his second in command and next to Teal'c.

Daniel took the seat next to Sam.

"Yes Colonel?" Hammond replied, an amused smile on his face.

"We aren't due to go off world until later this week. Why are we having a briefing now?"

Hammond sighed. "As you know, SG-15's leader, Lt. Colonel Mike Newton, broke his leg and Staff Sergeant Amy Pierce recently found out that she's pregnant. Since they are out of commission until Newton's leg heals and finds a temporary replacement for Sergeant Pierce, your team will take their place on the mission to PX1-214."

Jack flipped the folder open and quickly scanned the contents. "Why send us? This looks pretty run of the mill. The people are blue, the sky is red, and the dirt is orange. While as fascinating as those three things might be to those that are more scientifically inclined," he said, purposefully ignoring the glares emanating from Carter and Daniel, "why are you having a front line team go there?"

Hammond glared at his second-in-command. "I am sending you there because currently your team is the only one available to handle this particular situation. We've already made first contact with the people. At first the world possessed little that would be of any benefit to Earth, but we discovered that the planet has a source of naquadah. SG-12, along with Dr. Pierson, is already on the planet and they are having no luck in convincing the natives to let us mine for the mineral. The locals have no use for it themselves and we are trying to get them to let us have access to the land where the mine is located. The difficulty is that the mine is in an area that the natives consider sacred. According to Dr. Pierson, the location has some significant ruins that look to be of Ancient origin. The natives think of the Ancients as their ancestors and are protective of the site. You team's job is to convince them to let us check it out."

Jack cleared his throat and tried his best to look contrite and apologetic. He wasn't doing a very good job at it. "You're sending us to handle a diplomatic situation? I mean sure, developing interstellar relations and building bridges between cultures _is_ a hobby of mine, but I don't think we're the best to send. Don't we have another SG team that deals with diplomatic stuff full time?"

Hammond gave another deep sigh and internally wondered if his blood pressure would reach record heights that day. "SG-9 is currently off-world. They are on PX1-026 to negotiate with the ruling house of Xa'rr for the right to mine the naquahdah on their lands. Their reports say the negotiations have slowed down due to the natives' insistence that they are to follow their religious customs to the letter. They can't leave until they are finished there, so your team will have to go instead."

"But still, isn't there someone else?" Jack pressed, not wanting to go to PX-whatever and play nice with people that were the color of the Smurfs.

"Actually, I want Dr. Jackson to lead the negotiations, no offense Jack," General George Hammond said, doing his best to not smirk at the Colonel. "As much as I respect your ability to negotiate with aliens," he said with a straight face, "I feel that your talents can be best used in another capacity on this mission."

Jack gave the general a resigned nod, knowing that there was nothing he could say that would get them out of the assignment. He then noticed the enthusiastic smile on the archeologist's face.

While it wasn't the first time the man had been off-world (he had been a part of the team that helped to destroy Anubis' super-weapon), it would be the first time the formerly ascended expert in alien-human relations would lead a mission. While he (Jack) would be in command of the team and still be responsible for everyone's safety, the archeologist would lead the negotiations.

They went over the basic information about the planet and the people and within an hour they were geared up and in front of the Stargate, waiting for Sergeant Harriman to dial up PX1-026.

Slowly, then faster and faster the gate began to spin, stopping to lock on to certain coordinates. Scorpio, Lynx, Virgo, Aries, Taurus, and Equleus all lit up as the gate program locked onto each coordinate. Finally the point of origin for the Tau'ri lit up and a blue kawoosh erupted from the twenty-two foot tall device, announcing that a wormhole had been established between the two worlds.

"Ready kids?" Jack asked and checked each member of his team to determine their individual levels of readiness.

Carter looked calm and mildly bored; it wasn't as if this was the first time she had steeped through the big blue puddle.

Teal'c looked alert and vigilant for any danger that they find once they crossed the blue horizon.

Daniel, however, looked like a kid that had just been told that that he could have free reign at a candy store. He was literally bouncing on his toes, his enthusiasm for meeting with and interacting with an alien culture was causing him to regress to the wide-eyed Spacemonkey that he had been when the Gate was first opened eight years prior.

"Alright then, let's move out people," Jack said as he jammed his ball cap on to his head and lead SG-1 up the metal ramp and through the ring that led to another world on the far side of the galaxy.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know.

Thank once again to those of you that have put me and/or my story on a list of some sort. It is much appreciated. Also, thank you to those of you that have dropped me a review and let me know what you think. Finally, thank you for just reading my stuff. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Final note: The names of the Stargate symbols came from Wikipedia I believe.


	8. Chapter 7

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

They stepped though the horizon and were greeted by an unbelievable scene. The dirt was indeed orange and the sky was red and the people looked like escapees from the Blue Man Group.

Their bright blue heads were completely bald. Their ears were shapeless lumps on the side of their heads. They didn't have eyebrows or eyelashes. Their eyes were large and round; the whites were startling white while the irises and pupils blended together into a fathomless black.

They differed from BMG through their clothing. They all wore robes of grey and sky blue; apparently the color difference denoted the difference in their ranks within society. One couldn't tell the men from women since they were actually both – beings that reproduced like asexual plants.

"Holy shit! They're like that character from that sci-fi show you love to rip apart Carter," Jack whispered to his teammates, "or Smurfs actually."

"Nice Jack," Daniel whispered. "Can we avoid any further comparisons to fictional characters while on planet? Now remember, these people love all life, from baby seals to the smallest bug, so do your best to avoid," Daniel instructed but his voice trailed off as Jack swatted at and killed a mosquito-like creature that had come to rest on his neck, "killing stuff. Ah, crap."

Immediately a clamor arouse from the group of indigo colored humanoids. They started chattering loudly among each other and a few of the closer ones pointed long cylinder devices at them – weapons of some sort, no doubt.

The next thing Daniel knew, a now familiar pounding sensation that originated from the base of his skull and reverberated through his head and down his spine made itself known. Looking around, he spotted Methos threading his way through the crowd near the Stargate. Immediately the feeling disappeared and he was able to resume silently cursing his luck, Jack, and whatever god that was out there for smiting him so soon.

"What in the hell you guys do?" Adam asked as he drew close enough to the newly arrived Tau'ri, his hazel eyes looking at each member of SG1 carefully, his voice low.

Daniel shifted his eyes slightly to the left, towards the perpetrator.

"Damn it!" Methos groused. "This is not going to be good any of us, especially if we want to gain the naquadah mining rights that we were sent here for. I've worked pretty hard you know to get us to the point were they feel that we can be trusted and now this."

Jack sighed. It was just a bug after all. Surely it wasn't the last mosquito these people had on their stupid planet. "Danny, just go and tell them that I'm sorry and I won't kill anymore of their blood sucking creepy-crawlies."

Daniel stepped forward and started to explain that the Colonel didn't know about their customs and that he was very sorry. He did his best, conveying sincerity and honesty in his tone in words, hoping that the aliens would find it in their three hearts to forgive them for this small transgression.

The members of SG1, with Methos, stood there listening to the native people converse among them.

SG-12 stood by, weary and watchful, their hands on the butts of their weapons, ready for action. They looked towards Dr. Pierson, their teammate, to see if he knew what was going on, looking for some sort of sign that they should say the hell with the negotiations and save their backsides.

Adam minutely shook his head, silently telling his team that now was not the time for any sort of rash actions. While he wasn't the team's leader, the others tended to look towards him for guidance.

Finally, one of the giant Smurfs stepped forward and bowed his/her/its head. "Off Worlders, you have been made aware of by your envoys that we of Firdaws do not permit the destruction of living beings, no matter how small. You will be subject to our laws, the same as any of our people," the head blue guy pronounced while staring intently at Jack.

"So I get to write I will not kill mosquitoes a thousand times and sent to bed without supper?" Jack asked a hopeful tone in his voice.

"You will be subject to the Excoriare Corium," the leader intoned as others of his people encircled SG1, ruining any attempt at escape.

Daniel and Methos both sucked in sharp breaths, recognizing the words spoken.

"What?" Jack asked his dark eyes cold and calculating.

"It means _to flay skin_ Jack," Daniel whispered. "They are going to scourge you."

"Like hell they will," Jack said and pointed his P-90 at the blue idiots who had an unhealthy fixation on the preservation of bugs.

Carter and Teal'c also brought up their weapons to bear.

Daniel however stepped in front of Jack. "I cannot allow you to do this to Colonel O'Neill. He didn't know that your laws extended to creatures that are considered to be nuisances on our world. His offense was not intentional."

"It matters not. He knew the rule and violated our laws. He must be punished," he leader said and thumbed a small button on his weapon. Lights came to life; it didn't look like anything good would come from the metal cylinder.

Daniel took a deep breath, praying silently to whatever true god that was out there that he could avoid getting Jack killed. Many people, he remembered from seeing it live and in person, did not survive scourging. "I was sent by the leader of my people to head this mission to your people. I am in charge of SG-1 and the Colonel's offenses are mine. I offer to take his place."

"Danny, what in the hell are you doing?" Jack hissed. "Nobody is beating anyone today. We take them out and go home."

"How do you plan on that Jack? We're cut off from the DHD and they have weapons that we know nothing about. I will survive this. You might not. I won't let you die for something as stupid as this," Daniel hissed back, never taking his eyes off Papa Smurf.

_Oh great_, Daniel bitched to himself. _Jack has even me calling them Smurfs. I've been around him too much. I need to widen my pool of friends and quit spending all of my time on base. Was I like this before I ascended?_

"Daniel, this is bullshit," Jack snapped.

"I know its bullshit, but unless you want to experience hell, you'll shut the fuck up and let me do this," Daniel said in a low voice, careful to keep his words between him and Jack, as he passed over his weapons, his side arm and knives, and the sheath he kept strapped to his arm that held his personal knife, to his teammates.

"Will you allow me to take Colonel O'Neill's place? I am sure that he will find it more of a punishment to have to watch me go through the Excoriare Corium that to go through it himself. As their leader, I should be held accountable for their actions. Their failings are my responsibility."

The azure-skinned people spoke among themselves, occasionally looking at the humans and Teal'c.

Finally after several long minutes of debate, the head Smurf turned back to the group. "While I do not understand why you would subject yourself to the Excoriare Corium when you have not given offense, we accept your offer."

With that, the escapees from the Smurf village grabbed Daniel and hustled him away from the gate and the rest of SG1.

Jack yelled at the Pierce, Brendan, and Tracy to remain at the gate while he, followed by Carter, Teal'c, and Methos took off after Daniel and his blue entourage.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The blue people brought Daniel to their village, which indeed did look like Smurf village – several round huts with mushroom-like caps for roofs. In the center of the village was a wooden post, about ten feet tall with a ring and rope attached to it.

Daniel was quickly stripped of his vest, jacket, and t-shirt, leaving his bare chest exposed to the light, cool wind that had chosen at that moment to pick up. His hands were bound in front of him and the rope attached to the hook was then tied to those ropes. The rope was then tugged on, pulled though the metal loop, forcing Daniel to raise his arms high above his head. He was forced to stand with his chest pressed against the pole.

The crowd parted and a lone figure in white robes appeared, brandishing a multi-thonged whip that had metal balls tied on then ends

"Jack, do not interfere," Daniel ordered his friend. "Teal'c sit on him if need be. I'll be okay."

Daniel then looked at Methos, his oldest friend, a fellow warrior in a Game that no one really understood as to why it existed. Looking at the legendary Immortal, Daniel could recall many times when it was only thanks to their Immortality that they had survived some of the most trying times. He recalled the times that they had been there for each other, understanding and not judging when countless others would have executed them a thousand times over for their crimes. "Make sure they get back in one piece and that your team doesn't see anything," he said.

Methos nodded.

Daniel kept his eyes on a distant fixed point, refusing to look at any of his friends. He needed to concentrate, to find some semblance of clear-headedness if he wanted to keep his secret safe.

From behind him came a cracking sound and the next thing he knew his breath was completely knocked out of him. Fire raced along his spine, a horrible burning sensation froze his muscles, causing his body to seize up violently.

The metal spheres bruised the skin while the leather whips cut into the subcutaneous tissue. With each subsequent strike Daniel screamed, his voice finally loosen from the shock caused by the first strike, unable to control the involuntary reaction to the lictor brutalizing his back, legs, and even his head at one point.

Again and again the whip was applied to his bare back, slicing through the skin and into his skeletal muscles. Within minutes the skin was hanging off his back in long ropes, his muscles, bones, and spine exposed. He didn't have the strength to stand upright but couldn't sink to his knees. Instead he sagged, letting the rope support his weight, the mere act dislocating one of his arms. Blood rolled down his back from the gaping wounds, staining what little skin remained on his back, soaking into his pants.

Finally, after at least twenty lashes, the lictor declared that the punishment had been delivered. He stepped back, his once white robes stained with Daniel's blood. "You may cut him down," the blue man pronounced.

The others rushed towards Daniel. Teal'c propped the Immortal up while Jack made quick work with his knife, cutting through the bonds.

Sam gathered up Daniel's clothing and while she was doing that she saw the bloody mess that was Daniel's back. "Oh God!" she gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth, fighting to choke back the urge to vomit.

She rushed over to the men who were carrying Daniel's limp form a little further away from the site of his torture and further away from the aliens.

"Why isn't he healing?" she asked and dumped the clothes by his side.

Methos looked Daniel over with a practiced and critical eye. "He's suppressing his Quickening so the aliens won't find out about him."

"Is he still alive?" Sam asked; concern was evident in her voice.

"Barely," Methos said. "Danil, let go and let your-self heal," he then whispered to his friend.

Daniel remained unresponsive, lost in his own mind, unable to let go of the absolute control over his Quickening.

"Oh Christ! What now? Why in the hell did I have to kill that damn bug? It was just one bug and these assholes did this over a fucking _mosquito_?" Jack raged, pissed that something this horrific happened to his best friend, thanks to his own act of stupidity. "I should have never allowed him to take my place."

"Colonel, Daniel will be fine. You probably wouldn't have survived something like this. I remember seeing this and it was something that even would have disgusted me at my worst. Most people, when scourged didn't survive and those unlucky enough to survive had to endure an agonizing death by way of crucifixion," Methos said, looking down at his friend. He noted how there was no tell-tale blue lightening healing the wounds. Daniel was that far gone.

"Let's get him away from these people, some place private. I think we need to kill Daniel to jump start his healing abilities and return his mind to its ability to focus outward. If those idiots lost it over a fucking bug, imagine what they would do if they saw us kill Daniel," Methos sighed.

Jack sent Teal'c over to the aliens, asking them for a place where they could tend to Daniel's wounds in private, not trusting himself to not beat the living shit out of them for doing this to their friend.

Papa Smurf led the group to a mushroom hut where they were given clean bandages and water. Like any of that would actually do anyone any good after enduring such torture. The only reason Daniel was still alive was due to his Immortality and the sheer stubbornness that possessed the man since day one of his life.

They stretched him out on the bed, face down, as gently as possible, doing their best to ignore the massive wounds and flayed skin that was dangling from his back.

"What now?" Jack asked, looking at the other Immortal. This was beyond his sphere of knowledge and understanding.

"If we shoot him, the aliens will know something is up. I say stab him through the heart and while he's dead, we cut off the loose skin and we can put his shoulder back in. Once we pull the knife out, his body will start to repair itself," the really old guy suggested.

"How long will it take for him to heal?" Sam asked.

Methos shrugged. "Not long – maybe. His power signature is still off the scale, like it was before. I don't think it will take long, but this is pretty extensive. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Okay people, let's get this over with. Roll him over," Jack pronounced, looking grim yet determined to get his friend out of his state of shock.

Jack then pulled a combat knife from his belt. When the others rolled Daniel over, Jack stabbed downwards, striking his friend in the heart. The act produced a wet, meaty sound, as if a steak knife was hacking into a side of raw beef.

Daniel's eyes went wide for a second and he looked down at the knife protruding from his chest. He then slowly looked up at Jack, his blue eyes looking at his friend in absolute disbelief. His eyes then clouded over and lost their focus. Death, however temporarily, claimed the Immortal.

Jack and Teal'c worked quickly, cutting away the ropes of skin while Sam and Methos held Daniel upright. Also, working together they popped his shoulder back into place, allowing his Quickening to work that much faster. Soon they were finished. The rest of the damage would have to be repaired by Daniel his self.

Jack then pulled the knife out of Daniel's heart, ignoring the sickening wet sound the act produced.

They turned Daniel back onto his stomach so they could monitor the progress his Quickening was making with the wounds.

Within minutes lightening was racing along his backside, knitting the wounds, healing the rips and tears made by the leather and the metal balls. The skin magically healed itself, returning itself to its original form, smooth and unblemished.

Daniel's eyes snapped open and he took a deep, shuddering breath, announcing that he had returned to the land of the living.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, as Daniel raised his head and turned to look at the people around him. "Are you okay?"

"No I'm not Jack," Daniel ground out, his blue eyes hard and angry.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

I feel a bit nauseated with this chapter, but in a sick way it was _kind_ of fun to write. I wanted to do something different with Daniel that I hadn't done before. I did some reading about scourging and most of it was associated with the story of Jesus. I even looked at a clip of The Passion of the Christ on YouTube (I think I am the only Catholic that has never seen the movie – and I really don't want to either) to see how they depicted the scourging scene – needless to say I ended up crying. In reality, it was a very horrible ordeal and most people did not survive the scourging. It was completely legal in the Roman Empire to scourge someone, although women, Roman senators, and soldiers (unless they were deserters) were spared from being whipped to death. Also, from what I read, according to Jewish custom a person was to only be whipped at the maximum of forty times. I also looked at a couple of sites that talked about the medical aspects of scourging. It was all pretty grim and gross. I hope I haven't offended too many people and if I have, I am sorry, but it made for an interesting chapter.

This was an extreme example of how some individuals go a bit nutty over environmental issues, but it was not directed at any one specific group. I didn't have an agenda here, beyond wanting an opportunity to get Daniel half-naked in my story again and beat the crap out of him for a little bit.

FYI, firdaws is supposed to mean paradise in Arabic (I just used it because it sounded different); and Excoriare Corium is supposed to mean to flay skin in Latin.

Anyway, thanks for reading my stuff and I hope you liked it; a double thank you to those of you that left a review and/or put me or my story on a list. It was very sweet of you to do so and I do appreciate it. Thank you and cheers!


	9. Chapter 8

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

"Are you okay?"

"No I'm not Jack," Daniel ground out, his blue eyes hard and angry. "They whipped the shit out of me and you're asking me if I'm okay? Not to mention the fact that you stabbed me in the heart."

"Well, usually you tell everyone that you're okay after something bad happens," Jack said. "Your back healed up like it should have. That counts for something. Also, we had to kill you so you would straighten out and let go of your Quickening. It was Adam's idea actually."

Daniel glared daggers at his old friend. "Thanks buddy."

"You're quiet welcome," Methos smiled brightly at his fellow Immortal.

"Fuck you too. Where's my shirt?" Daniel demanded, his voice hard and angry, reminding the others of his darker side. "Damn it Jack! Did you have to stab me? Death doesn't exactly tickle you know, Daniel glanced over at Methos, "At least not that I know of."

"All you have to do is ask and see if I do," Methos merrily replied.

Everyone looked between him and Daniel and took a _huge_ step back.

"You're a freak," Daniel muttered, rolling his eyes. "Where is my shirt?" he repeated himself.

Sam silently handed it over to her teammate.

The Immortal used it to wipe the blood off his arms and quickly pulled it over his head, letting the dark cloth cover the slowly drying blood that was on his chest and back. He took his weapons back from Teal'c, placing his sidearm back in its holster strapped to his thigh. One knife went into a sheath on his belt and the other he strapped to his arm. After that he then quickly pulled on his jacket and vest, concealing the secreted weapon and gore.

"What now?" Methos asked, looking at his longtime friend with cool, calculating eyes.

"Well, I momentarily thought about nuking the place and letting God sort them out after we took the naquadah for ourselves," Daniel asked, a tiny smile played across his lips.

Jack looked at his Immortal friend with a bit more than mild shock. The words that had just passed Daniel's lips sounded exactly like something he would say. _Hell_, he thought to himself, _I was thinking the very__ same__ thing. I wonder if the spacemonkey is psychi__c or if I am just a really bad influence._

"Daniel, you can't mean that," Sam insisted, her china blue eyes reflecting the worry she felt for her friend.

"Can't I Sam? These assholes for some reason feel they have to be the militant version of the Lorax and torture people. Granted I can see how others can find life precious at all levels, but this is asinine!"

"DanielJackson, going off like a partial rooster will not help the situation, nor will it help the people of Firdaws see how primitive and flawed their philosophy towards the lives of advanced creatures is," Teal'c rumbled.

"That's half-cocked T," Jack said. "Danny, I am sorry that you got punished for my stupidity, I really am, but we have to finish this mission. Can you please hold it together until we can get a treaty signed so we can have access to their naquadah? I promise you a week free of hockey and me fiddling with your rocks."

Daniel appeared to think that one over. A week of Jack not messing with his stuff might be worth him not going nutso on the blue skinned aliens.

"It's not enough. I could slice my way, literally, through these aliens quick enough and still get us access to the naquadah, while getting my kicks in," he said coldly.

"I'll be your sparring partner for a month," Jack said, cringing at the thought of having the ancient Immortal kick his ass all across the mountain and back, in front of the Marines no less.

"No," Daniel said, a hard edge to his voice. "There'd be paperwork if I ended up killing you."

"But it'd be an accident, right?" Jack asked, a tad bit nervous.

Daniel only snorted in derision, doing nothing to help alleviate growing Jack's sense of alarm.

"Next archeological site we get sent to, I'll refrain from hurrying you along, unless of course the Goa'uld or some other alien race that we've managed to piss off, start raining heavy fire down upon us of course," Jack finally said, hating himself for saying those words. He really didn't want to be stuck on an archeological dig while Daniel ensconced himself among broken bits of pottery and dirt, but if it kept his friend from deep-sixing the negotiations and killing the aliens, so much the better. While he really didn't care if the aliens lived or died at this point, he didn't want to see his best friend do something that at a later, and calmer, point he would end up regretting.

_When in the hell did I become the reasonable one out of the group?_ Jack thought to himself, shocked with his level-headed thinking_. Danny is the one that has to normally talk me out of going Road Warrior on people. What a disgusting turn of events!_

"Fine," he ground out. "I promise not to go all Hannibal Lector on them, but don't expect me to let the fact go that they whipped the shit out of me over a fucking bug. I plan on having a word or two about that."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," Jack sighed.

"You know, I would have been happy with the promise of you staying out of my coffee stash," Daniel said, throwing the words over his shoulder as he started out the door, knowing what Jack's reaction would be.

"D'oh," Jack cried, smacking him-self in the forehead.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Daniel stalked his way back to the scene of his torture, finding the blue skinned aliens standing there, watching him cautiously.

"How is that you are able to walk as you do so soon after the Excoriare Corium? No one has ever been able to move so easily afterwards. Have you been blessed by the gods?" the leader of the group spoke up, a hushed reverence in his voice. "Are all of your people like you?"

A million comments flooded his mind in that moment, but Daniel forced himself to push away the negative thoughts that were dominating his thought process. The pissed off side of him, the most vocal part, called for vengeance, for blood, just like it had been for him long ago. The quieter, more rational side to his psyche said to seek understanding and forgiveness.

"I have not been blessed by the gods. I have a higher tolerance to pain and discomfort. This gift, as you would call it, is rare among my people and is not spoken of, as per our custom," he stretched the truth. "I would like to know if it is still possible to negotiate to see the source of the mineral my people desire. Are you still favorable towards negotiations?"

The leader took in his words. "We may talk as long as you and your people follow our laws."

Daniel, biting back a few choice words about their laws, nodded. "Do you have a name?"

"I am Hoeckner," blue alien replied.

"Thank you Hoeckner," Daniel said smoothly, ignoring the screaming cry within him for vengeance, for blood. "Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

The alien directed Daniel to a building that was similar to the other mushroom houses. They went inside together.

Nothing was heard of what was being said. The others stood around outside, waiting impatiently. Earlier, SG-12 had been recalled to the village to join SG-1. Nobody told them what exactly had happened to Daniel, but they figured from the tenseness in the Colonel's eyes and back, Major Carter's blank face, and Teal'c's deeper grimace. They also took in Dr. Pierson's dead looking eyes. That worried them the most. The man looked like he could wipe out an entire village and not think twice about doing so.

Eventually, the door opened and Daniel and Hoeckner emerged. The alien did not look happy. Daniel looked enraged.

"Let's go," Daniel said shortly and marched off in the general direction of the Stargate.

The others all looked at each other for a second and then took after the archeologist.

"Daniel! Daniel! Wait up," Jack yelled after the retreating figure.

"What Jack?" Daniel bit out.

"What happened?" Jack asked. "I thought you were going to negotiate with them to get us the right to get their naquadah?"

"Yeah, I was. That was my plan. Unfortunately the people of this planet do not like the idea of the ground being disturbed, because their worms, or whatever they call them, might be hurt. Hoeckner told me that they assumed that we just wanted the rocks that lie on top of their sight and that they would never agree to us digging in their precious dirt. I tried to tell him that we have techniques that could return the land to its previous condition, but I was told no. Apparently even the damn worms on this planet have more value than human life!" At this point Daniel was raging, fully pissed that such a simple diplomatic mission had unraveled, leading to him getting whipped over a bug and resulting in nothing useful for Earth to defend itself with against the Goa'uld.

"That's it? They meet us, whip the crap out of you, and tell us no?" Jack asked, incredulously. He was half tempted, when he got back to the SGC, was to see if Hammond would allow him to throw a small nuclear device through the Gate, killing a few more bugs in the process. Unfortunately, Hammond probably wouldn't go along with the plan. _Maybe if I ask nicely, and actually finish up all of my paperwork_, he thought absently.

"And you want to know the funniest thing about all of this," Daniel continued on, ignoring Jack.

"What?" Adam asked, watching his old friend carefully, looking for the familiar signs of a personality switch.

"I also asked why they have such an over-the-top method for dealing with people that kill their bugs, Hoeckner told me that when the Goa'uld occupied this world long ago, they knew how sacred the animals were to the people, and in order to keep the population in line, they would threaten to kill the animals unless the people bowed down to them. Now, they feel that anyone, especially ones that look like Goa'uld, that doesn't respect the lives of the lesser beings is as bad as the Goa'uld. We just got compared to the Goa'uld for killing a fucking bug! These people make ELF look rational!" Daniel ranted, his hand gesturing wildly.

The ancient Immortal wasn't done with his rant though. "You know, I died, Ascended, and came back to a life that is completely screwed up. My former life is in ashes and this new one is insane. Why couldn't you guys have left me on that planet you found me on? It was nice and I didn't have crazy giant Smurfs giving me a beating from hell over nothing."

Jack thought that one over for a second. "I don't know what to tell you Danny. This mission was messed up from the beginning and I am sorry, sorrier than you can imagine. You shouldn't have had to go through that for my sake. While I appreciate not having to go through that myself, I am sorry that you did. Let's go home, get cleaned up, give our report to Hammond, and take some time to process all of this over a good bottle or two of beer."

"Fine, but you can't take back your promise of leaving me alone on the next archeology-type mission. A deal is a deal," Daniel said, glaring at his team's leader.

"I made a promise didn't I?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded and did an about face and continued on with his march towards the Gate.

Once everyone was there, he quickly punched in the coordinates for Earth.

Sam sent the all-clear signal back to the SGC so they wouldn't end up splattered on the iris that covered the Gate.

The blue skinned aliens trailed behind the SG-teams.

"I wish I could say that being here and meeting you guys was a pleasure, but Mama O'Neill always told me not to lie," Jack snapped off, glaring at the aliens.

"It is not our fault that your people cannot see the value in all of Creation. Maybe someday your people will realize how precious life is and will not find it necessary to use violence when you encounter something different," Hoeckner said, looking slightly smug in Jack's opinion.

"Let's go people," Jack said.

"Oh, Hoeckner," Daniel said, his voice sounding mild, gesturing for Papa Smurf to come closer. He also gestured towards Jack to move closer to the wormhole.

Jack looked over at Daniel sharply, wondering what his friend was about to say. Hairs on the back of his neck stood up. There was something chillingly familiar in the Immortal's voice.

Hoeckner came over, not suspecting a thing.

Daniel reared back and punched the alien squarely in the face, smashing its nose, enjoying the sound of bone and cartilage (or whatever the alien possessed in equivalency) breaking.

Jack caught a glimpse of devious satisfaction on Daniel's face right before Daniel plowed into him, pushing him through the wormhole which closed up the second they entered the interstellar conduit that would take them back to their home planet.

The blue puddle spat them out into a tangle of limbs. Jack was able to recover first and climbed to his feet. He looked down at his friend that was still in a prone position on the expanded metal ramp.

"Feel better?" Jack asked.

Daniel smiled a nasty smile. "Actually, yes I do."

"What in the name of all happened?" Hammond's voice boomed through the Gateroom.

"Oy, is this briefing ever going to be fun," Jack commented as he pulled the deceptively younger-looking man to his feet, trying to ignore the fact that Daniel's brief smile had seriously creeped him out. "Let's get cleaned up, get the brief over with, and get the hell out of here. There's a case of beer at my house with our names on it."

"Sounds great," Daniel replied. "It had better be the good stuff or there will be Hades to pay."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

Truth time, this was a really hard chapter to finish. Beyond the hard drive deciding that it should commit suicide this chapter was really difficult to put together. It took me two re-writes to finish it, plus with a lot of help from Lorilei. She deserves a lot of credit for this chapter being finished and the idea of Death tickling was hers – between you and me, she might be a bit warped (which makes her such a great writing partner). I had written myself into a hole and she helped me find a way out of it. I am not overly happy with this chapter, but hopefully it will get better in the coming chapters. Please forgive me.

Thank you for reading it and dropping me reviews and the like. I do appreciate it. It helps. Take care and don't be afraid to drop me a review or two (I am such a review whore, I know) and let me know what you think. Yes, Daniel was a little OOC, but he had just been tortured, so I think he's allowed to be a bit pissed, plus it will play into something I would like to incorporate into later chapters. Be patient with me please. Thanks!


	10. Chapter 9

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

They made it through the briefing with little trouble. The whipping was mentioned to the General, but with a sublet shake of Daniel's head, the matter was largely ignored. The real trouble had been when they were undergoing their post-mission exam with Dr. Fraiser and her bunch of sadistic nurses.

The minute Brendan of SG-12 said that Daniel had been whipped by the blue-skinned aliens the nurses were practically fighting each other to examine the poor doctor. Thankfully Janet came to his rescue and shooed everyone, outside of SG-1 and Dr. Pierson, away.

"It's healed Janet," Daniel said quietly.

"Let me see," Janet said briskly, not trusting the Immortal's word (or she just wanted to get him half naked).

Daniel rolled his eyes and shucked his shirt, revealing the smooth, yet blood-stained skin across his back. "See, nothing to worry about."

"How bad was it?" she asked the others, giving them a steely look, that brooked no arguments. She wanted the truth.

"It was pretty bad. His skin was in shreds. He got hit in the head too," Jack said, looking troubled.

"Well, you healed up pretty well," Janet said, making a few notations on a chart in a file. "I'm going to say that you had a few lacerations and bruises, but nothing that requires any medical intervention beyond ice a few bandages."

"Thanks Janet," Daniel said and jumped off the exam table and pulled his filthy t-shirt back on.

"Daniel," the good doctor called out. "Just because you healed physically, that doesn't mean you're okay."

Daniel turned around to face her. "I know," he said with a dead sounding voice, "but it's something I have to work out. Besides, this wasn't the first time something like this has happened to me."

"I know Daniel. I remember what happened to you in South Dakota," she said, her warm brown eyes filled with concern.

Daniel laughed without any real humor. "That was child's play Janet and in the grand scheme of it all, so was today."

The doctor just gave him a look of worry, but didn't take it any further. She knew that her friend had countless lifetimes of experiences under his belt and she couldn't begin to understand how he managed to keep it together like he did (for the most part). She still worried though.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Brendan, Pierce, and Tracey all begged off. It was Wednesday night and that meant it was Halo night. Adam, who couldn't stand videogames, begged off and chose to spend the evening with the members of SG1.

After cleaning themselves up and finishing up some necessary tasks, they all headed over to Jack's home. Daniel road over with Adam, since his SUV, upon his death, had been given to Cassie. He didn't want to take it away from the girl; there were kinder ways to torture teenagers than take away their ticket to freedom. Besides, he finally remembered that beyond his salary and savings from his job with the SGC, he actually had more money than most small countries. It wasn't as if he couldn't afford to get a new car.

He promised himself that tomorrow, after he had finished shopping for his home and its furnishing, he'd find suitable transportation for Dr. Jackson.

"So," Methos started, keeping his eyes on the road, not wanting to wreck his Range Rover. "How are you doing?"

"Peachy," Danil sullenly replied, dropping any pretense that he was nice, normal, vanilla Dr. Daniel Jackson. While he wasn't feeling overly homicidal at the moment, he wasn't happy.

"I'm sure you are. Feel the need to find a couple of horses and go riding again?" the slightly older Immortal asked.

"Jack, Sam, and Teal'c would make interesting substitutions for War, Famine, and Pestilence," Danil snorted. "Somehow I can't see Teal'c actually eating someone."

"But you'd be there, following in our wake, taking out those that we missed," Methos said, his mind reaching back over the centuries. "We were unbelievably fucked up. So many things to regret."

Danil nodded his mind also on the past. "Yeah, we were, but it was a different time. People and things were different back then. Things were so much easier though. You did what you had to do to survive, showed the world that you were strong and you were not someone to take on. You protected yourself and yours at all costs."

"We tended to do more than that. It was a brutal time and we were beyond brutal. Be thankful that you weren't with us all the time we rode," Methos advised his friend. "If you had, you would have had a more memorable part in the Bible.

"Let me call my press agent and let him know how sad I am over that," he said; a bitter tone in his voice. "How in the hell did Oma ever decide that I was worth of Ascension? I was a monster," Daniel asked, not understanding what the Ancient saw in him that made him worthy in her eyes. His memory of that year with the Ascended was still a blank to him. He could remember pretty much everything from before the accident on Kelowna, but that one year was a complete mystery to him.

"That was a long time ago my friend. We changed, you changed."

"Not a whole lot apparently. I remember what I was like back in South Dakota. Hell, I wanted to fucking nuke that place with the overgrown Smurfs today," Danil said, scrubbing his face with this hands. "I only hit the guy, but once upon a time I would have staked him out in the sun over an anthill covered in sap after I burnt his village to the ground."

Methos shrugged. "Further proof that you've grown," he said. "Danil, are you hearing voices screaming at you for vengeance?"

"I did," he admitted.

"Did you give in to them? Did you let your darker nature take control?"

Danil shook his head in denial. "Of course not, you were there."

"See, there's further proof that you are a good person at heart and not the monster that you once were. You've just undergone some terrible times which has had a great impact on your life and outlook. Oma saw and knew what your past had been like, but she also saw what you had become since then. You hear the voices that scream for violence, the same as me, but you know how to ignore them and only let the darker side out when it is absolutely necessary. What happened on your vacation was not your fault. You got caught up in one of the most out there situations ever conceived, but it was not your fault," the Really Old Guy pontificated while stopped at a red light, waiting for it to turn green.

Danil digested that, looking out at the quiet, safe world that was outside of the vehicle, totally unsuspecting that two serial killers were driving through their neighborhood.

"So much has changed," he said quietly.

"It has my friend. Who would have thought three thousand years ago that we would get paid to fight a secret war against a bunch of aliens spread across the galaxy?" Methos asked, as he pulled into Jack's driveway.

"Gods! It makes you crazy sometimes to think about it. Our lives sound like some crazy, lame-ass, sci-fi show," Danil laughed.

"Like Wormhole X-treme? Their version of you was such a loser. Your character sounded like such a crying, whiney bitch at times. You should have sued them," Methos joined his oldest friend in his laughter. "I will say that it's good to have you back."

"The former psycho-me or just me in general?"

Methos replied with an eye roll.

Danil slid his eyes off to the left. "Are you saying that you missed me?"

Methos snorted. "In so far as having someone else in charge of three departments and putting up with Jack's crap, sure. How in the hell did you do it for five years without losing it is beyond me."

"Thanks buddy," Danil said, serious, knowing that the Old Man's sarcasm was a security blanket for him.

"Anytime," Methos added. "So let's lighten up a bit and let Dr. Jackson and Dr. Pierson have a nice night."

"Sure, but you realize that they're going to want a story or two. I might just have to tell them about the times you over did it in the vomitorium or that one incident with that Roman senator's daughter. You know the one that could have made a hooker in Tijuana look tame. Come to find out she really liked her farm animals," Danil laughed. He couldn't help him-self; it had been a priceless moment seeing the horrified look on his friend's face when he realized that his latest love interest had an affinity for the furrier side of life.

Methos paled. "If I hear the words _donkey_ and _show_, with my name attached to it, come out of your mouth, I will kill you right where you stand and I don't care who sees it. Besides, just for the record, I never touched her after I saw what she did to that donkey," the immortal shuddered violently.

Danil only replied with more laughter.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The night had gone smoothly.

The five of them sat around in Jack's living room eating cheap Chinese take-out, drink beer, and watching The Road to Perdition, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. It was nice to just relax with the others, Daniel decided. Sitting in Jack's living room, relaxed, not having to hold up a façade or wear a mask was nice. There he didn't have to be someone else's idea of what Dr. Daniel Jackson had to be. He could just let it all hang out around his friends and be himself.

More importantly, he didn't have to fake having a low tolerance for alcohol – though in all actuality, it was much lower than Methos' ability to hold his liquor. There were very few people left on this planet that were able to out-drink the Old Man, and Daniel knew that he was not one of them. The one time he tried, he ended up throwing up violently, dying of alcohol poisoning, coming back to life, and throwing up again.

"So, Danny-boy," Jack began, peeling the label to his bottle of Sam Adams, trying his best to sound casual. The movie was over and he wanted to be entertained further. The night was young and his curiosity was up.

"Yes Jack?" was Daniel's patient reply, knowing instinctively what his friend was dying to ask him, but refusing to give in that quickly. _Make him beg for it_, he thought to himself, grinning.

"How is the memory thing?" Jack pressed, pulling the paper sticker back further.

Daniel smirked just a tad. "Just about everything is back in place, except for my sabbatical among the Ancient. I even got a few things back that had been missing from before I died of radiation poisoning, weird how that worked out."

"You know, sharing stories with others had once been a time honored tradition with people that sat around a campfire," Jack pushed.

"I've heard that," Daniel agreed, an evil glint in his eye. "Too bad we aren't sitting around a campfire, but a Samsung thirty inch, widescreen, flat tube television. For some reason, the glow of a television just doesn't give the same ambience that a crackling fire can."

Jack groaned. "Come on Daniel! You must have a story or two in there somewhere!"

Daniel shrugged. "My life had been a continuous stretch of boredom, broken intermittently by moments of great terror. I am sure I've already told you guys the more exciting aspects of my life."

At this Sam elbowed him in the ribs since she was sitting on the couch between both Adam and Daniel. _Umm, an Immortal and Sam sandwich_, thought briefly, allowing her female side to notice that she was sitting on a couch between two incredibly handsome men. _Oh ick, that's Daniel I'm thinking of. He's like my brother. You are very naughty Sam, shameful, but Adam isn't my brother-shaped friend and he is nice on the eyes. Down girl! Think about things like…string theory, quarks, and dialing programs,_ she berated herself, forcing herself to think about something, anything but the man she was sitting next to.

"Be nice Daniel and give the Colonel what he wants or we will never hear the end of it," Sam said, hoping that her face wasn't shiningly bright red from embarrassment

"It's late you know. I don't want to tire you guys out," Daniel said, openly messing with his friend. "Plus I am pretty tired myself. Dying and coming back to life, once again, takes a lot out of me."

"I find that when you have a real interest in life and a curious life, that sleep is not the most important thing," Teal'c said, his voice matching the serenity of his face.

"Wow, that was deep T," Jack commented, blinking a bit at his friend and teammate. "Where did you get that one?"

"Martha Stewart," he said simply. "Now DanielJackson, why don't you sever the feces and tell O'Neill a story about your life?"

Everyone at this point was staring at the Jaffa.

Jack was the first to find his voice. "You can quote Martha Stewart, the evil bitch queen of homemakers, the woman who makes the Goa'uld look like the Snuggles bear, perfectly, but manage to mangle saying _cut the crap_? Unbelievable."

Daniel also caught in surprise and mild shock, finally decided that he had screwed with Jack enough for the night. He looked over at Methos, who only shrugged. "Well, there was that one time in Russia, during the reign of Ivan IV Vasilyevich, aka Ivan Grozny, aka Ivan the Terrible."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

Not much to say, but thank you to you the reader for taking the time to read my stuff. Also, thank you for putting my story on a list or dropping me a review. It is all very much appreciated. So in the meantime, if it so pleases you to do so, throw me a review or something; I am feeling a bit sad and insecure and reviews always makes me feel so much better…ha-ha! Seriously though, review please?


	11. Chapter 10

Rising From the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and historical references to torture. Also, I do issue a strong caution with this chapter. I've done my best to keep it from being an M-rated chapter, but if I do need to up the rating, please let me know and I will. I also recommend not eating, especially anything fried, while reading this chapter.

* * *

Methos and Danil, also known as Kyros and Photius, posing as Greek traders, traveled through the countryside of what would eventually become the Russian Empire. They had heard rumors that the current tsar, Ivan Grozny, was insane and was taking it out on the commoners and boyars alike. They had seen mass graves and signs of public executions as they traveled, and had even seen in person several episodes of torturous executions by the Oprichnik. Despite the widespread terror caused by the demented ruler, much to Photius' (Danil's) frustration as a consummate gatherer of knowledge and stories, the people would not talk about the darkness that had blanketed the country due to their fear of the wrath of the Tsar and the Oprichnik would descend upon them and their families.

They knew things were bad, but they didn't know just how bad, especially since they had only been in the country for less than a year (communications weren't always the best in the spread-out country. Also, neither of them been in the region in a long time and were curious as to how much it had changed since their last visit, but since people were generally tied to the land, the spread of knowledge was limited. Currently it was early January in the year 1570, cold as all hell and snow up to their asses.

Ivan IV, as a child had been abused and terrorized by the boyars that were supposed to be loyal to him. As a child, he in turn tortured animals, exacting revenge by proxy against those that had hurt him. A he grew older he roamed Moscow with other youths, drinking heavily, throwing cats and dogs off the Kremlin walls, knocked over old people, and committing acts of rape. The rape victims he then had them hanged, strangled, buried alive, and thrown to starving bears to be torn to pieces. When he was thirteen years old, he had Prince Andrew Shuisky arrested and then thrown into a pit of starving wild dogs.

As he grew into adulthood, his madness only increased in frequency and creativity. Ivan the Terrible once had a boyar sit on top of a barrel of gunpowder, lit the fuse, and the man was subsequently blown to bits. He was also known to have the ribs of men pulled out of their chests with hot, sharp pincers. There once was a story about how he had a massive frying pan built and literally fried his supposed enemies to death. He was even known to impale his victims, ala Vlad Tepes-style: a wooden pole or sphere slowly shoved through one end of the body and out the mouth. One of his victims, Prince Boris Telupa was impaled and managed to last fifteen hours before he died. While he slowly died a horrible and agonizing death, the man's mother came to visit him. In a fit of madness, Ivan gave the mother of the prince to a hundred gunners and was raped to death. He had also reportedly drowned hundreds of beggars in a lake and had his treasurer boiled to death in a cauldron. From the lowliest serf to the highest of the nobility, nobody was safe from his acts of cruelty. He had even killed his own son, the tsarivitch, in a fit of rage.

They came to Novgorod, a city of some importance in the northwest part of the growing Russian Empire, having been in Pskov earlier. They had left the city after they had encountered a determined, yet stupid Immortal who decided to challenge Methos to a fight. Normally it wouldn't have been a big deal, but unfortunately several mortals had seen the resulting lightening storm and labeled him a devil and rallied a mob to roust and kill him.

Novgorod was a center of trade, attracting merchants from Greece, to England, to the Ottoman Empire, and elsewhere. It was located on the banks of the Volkhov, where the river took water from Lake Ilmen. The land frequently flooded, leaving soggy, yet fertile ground. Also, for the most part, the city had avoided the terror of Ivan the Terrible and his merry band of sadistic thugs.

"Why are we here?" Methos asked his friend on a Monday, 09 January in the year 1570 AD, as they sat at a local inn, located on the edge of the city, sampling the local foods, and more importantly the locally distilled vodka.

"What do you mean?" Danil asked, leaning back, checking out the innkeeper's daughter – a pretty girl with dark curly hair and flashing blue eyes. Not really his type, but she did possess a beautiful smile

Methos rolled his eyes. "It's only a matter of time before the Tsar turns an eye on Novgorod and the boyars in the area, not to mention its horribly cold here in this god-forsaken country. I miss the comfort, cleanliness, and warmth of my home in Greece. Instead I am ass deep in snow and mud, staying in a drafty, wooden building. I know you long for Egypt, don't you dare deny it. Hell, I could think of a dozen other places I would rather be than stuck in Russia during the winter. While I can appreciate their love of alcohol, it doesn't completely mask the fact that the land is a frozen arctic nightmare."

The other Immortal looked exasperated. "I like seeing how cultures and people change over time. The icons in the churches and cathedrals are exquisite, not to mention the architecture. The connection to Greek Orthodoxy is amazing," Danil elaborated, his eyes alight with passion.

"Well, no shit. Where do you think the Russian Orthodox Church came from? Out among the heavens maybe?" Methos snipped at his friend. While he could understand Danil's love of knowledge and learning, he hated the cold, plus the rumors that Novgorod was next on the Tsar's hit list were making him nervous.

"Fine, we'll leave as soon as it's safe for the horses. While we might survive a night of freezing temperatures, the horses won't," Danil relented. "Plus, we should be fine if the Tsar decides to come after Novgorod. We aren't nobility and we can disappear better than most of these people. Why would that τρελλό άτομο1 come after us?" he asked, careful to mask his critical words concerning the tsar. It wasn't healthy to openly call the Tsar of Russia insane least you end up the latest victim in one of many his purges.

"What do we do in the meantime, springtime won't be here for several more months," Methos demanded.

Danil shrugged and took a sip of his vodka, not really liking the taste of the potent alcohol. "Well, one of the boyars is in need of a tutor for his sons. I am sure something will pop up to help you while away the days between now and then," Danil said, shrugging.

"Они приходят! Бог покидал нас!"2 a man screamed, bursting into the inn, shattering everyone's peace.

"What are shouting about? Who is here?" Danil asked in rapid Russian, jumping to his feet, his hand on his sword that was hidden in the folds of his clothing. He absently noted that Methos was mirroring his actions.

"The Oprichnik is here and supposedly the Tsar is with them!" the man, his barrel shaped chest heaving in exhaustion and fear.

"Oh gods no," Danil whispered. "Go, warn the others, but do it quietly, don't ring the bells. Get others to help you."

Unfortunately, warning the people of the city made no difference. The Tsar ordered a wall to be built to surround the city, preventing anyone from escaping. People were rounded up on a daily basis to be paraded in front of the Tsar and his son, another serial killer in the making, before they were executed in varied and horrific manners. Ivan believed that the boyars were going to defect to Poland and his over-developed sense of paranoia and psychosis felt the need to kill his enemies before they could act against him.

Danil and Methos, along with several other nobles and wealthier merchants that resided in the city, did their best to hide for a couple of weeks, always staying a step ahead of the Oprichnik, clad in their flowing black robes, heavily bearded, looking like messengers from the bowels of hell, immersing themselves in religious regalia, all the while indulging in sadism and debauchery.

Unfortunately, their luck did not hold out forever. They were caught on 30 January, a Sunday afternoon. One of their companions had been caught while foraging for food and had been forced to betray the group, telling the authorities where the others were located.

The Oprichnik surrounded the house and set it on fire, forcing everyone to run, least the burn to death. Danil, having been burnt to death already once before, did not want to repeat the experience. He and Methos escaped the flames that licked at their clothing, doing their best to ignore the flames that licked at their clothes. One woman wasn't so lucky. Her dress went up in a blaze, trapping her in a burning hell, literally. They could smell the burning flesh and hair; her torturous screams filled their ears. Danil, taking pity on her, swiftly ran her though with his sword, killing her instantly and ending her agony.

Once outside, they found themselves surrounded, unable to escape.

"What now?" Danil asked his old friend, gripping his sword in his hand, his eyes ablaze with a fury that he hadn't experienced since his time riding with the others, acting as their malicious little brother, or even during his dark time after fighting with Alexander.

Methos never got a chance to reply as a pike was rammed through his chest, killing him. His blood splashed obscenely against the purity of the snow, staining it forever. His body, dead, hung there limply, the sharp end of the weapon going all the way though his body and out his back. The Ancient Immortal's sword fell from his lifeless hand and was soon snatched up by his greedy murderer, unable to appreciate the simplistic beauty of the weapon. He only saw it as something to have, a trophy.

One of the acolytes of the Tsar laughed as he and others hoisted the pike up and planted it firmly vertically in the snow and ground to display the horrific sight of the impaled body, as a warning to the (remaining) already terrified citizenry. The idea was for the body to dangle there while gravity slowly worked its magic and allowed the body to slide down the shaft of the weapon while impaled. Luckily for Methos, his killer killed him immediately, otherwise it would have been a slow and agonizing death for the Immortal that would have lasted for hours as he hung there, skewered, all the while, bleeding as the pike tore him apart.

Danil, unable to do anything for his friend, was grabbed by several men and had his sword, not his Jain but a Spatha he has saved from his life in the Roman Empire. The Jain was being held for him at the home he maintained in Egypt, along with several other key possessions. A family that he had known through the ages lived in his home and kept the place, his belongings, and secrets safe. In exchange for their protection of his belongings and privacy, he allowed the family to live there generation after generation free and clear. He would show up every few years and stay there for several before it became too obvious that he did not age like the others. Before he left each time, the house and all of its secrets was entrusted to one member of the family and were put in charge of the fields, the house itself, and the storage area below the main structure. It was a good arrangement that benefited him greatly. It gave him a place to go and rest, and keep on to items that had sentimental or practical value to him.

He was marched with others to one of the smaller churches to await their fate. They had to wait there for several hours. Many of the faithful spent their time kneeling, praying to God to save them. Danil, however stood there, his arms crossed across his body, thinking of a dozen ways to escape but realizing that since he was literally surrounded by Ivan's nutcase personal henchmen, escape would be futile. At one point he considered deliberately getting himself killed by one of the guards, but was afraid that if he did, the madmen would cut off his head, resulting in him being lost forever. He didn't fear death; he feared being forgotten. Also, he worried that if one of Ivan's people, or worse, Ivan himself, saw him heal and come back to life things would get infinitely worse for him and other Immortals everywhere. In the meantime, he busied himself by hating the Tsar and his psychotic death squad.

_Gods, I should have listened to Methos and gotten the hell out of this blasted country,_ he berated himself. _But no, I just had to be fascinated by the culture and art. I swear if I get out of this thing with my head on my shoulders, I am to spend the next fifty years in nothing but a warm climate._

After waiting for what seemed like forever, Danil and the others, about fifty in all (apparently it was a slow day for executions) were marched out of the church and into the large town square. There they found the Tsar, with his son by his side, sitting on a throne, laughing gleefully at was about to come.

Danil looked around, looking for pikes or a hangman's noose, expecting to just be killed and have it done and over with. Simple executions, while never pleasant, were not unfamiliar to him. Unfortunately he did not see anything like that.

What he saw was a giant fire pit dug into the ground and over the fire was a man-sized giant cast iron skillet, filled with boiling fat.

When he saw that, he tried to make a break for it along with everyone else. Several were lucky enough to be killed instantly, but he wasn't one of them. His captors had too firm of a grasp on him. Despite his best efforts, using nearly four thousand, five hundred years of experience at escaping from impossible situations, he couldn't break away. He even dislocated one of his shoulders, hoping that would allow him to slither away, but it only resulted in a flash of fiery pain lancing though his arm and shoulder. No matter how much he struggled, kicked, spit, and twisted, he could not get away. The men in the long priestly robes dragged him literally kicking and screaming closer and closer to the fire and enormous pan.

He could smell the animal fat, hear it pop and sizzle as it exploded out of the pan and hit the fire. Danil was also able to make out the charred remains that looked vaguely human-like that were piled up to the side of the grotesque cooking fire. He could even smell the sickening stench of flesh, hair, and excrement that permeated the air.

What really unnerved him was the maniacal smile plastered across the tsar's face, underneath his dark, bushy mustache. He sick fuck was getting off on hearing the people scream for mercy and terror. His son also had a matching disturbed smile on his face. The rotten apple didn't fall from the diseased tree apparently.

_Dear Gods, please let me die quickly_, Danil thought desperately as he was drug closer and closer to the pan.

Danil tried everything he could think of, but the Fates were conspiring against him. He could not get away.

When they drew close enough, his Oprichnik captors heaved him, literally throwing him into the oil. Another individual held a heavy, long handled pole with a rock on the end of it, holding him down, preventing him from jumping out of the pan.

The agony was beyond anything Danil had ever experienced. His skin boiled and bubbled. His internal organs cooked. His hair caught on fire. All he could do was shriek and scream as his body seized uncontrollably. He could smell his body cooking; fortunately the pain had lessened since all of his nerve endings had been destroyed. He could hear above the roar of the fire below him and the sizzling of the oil his slowly dying body was lying in the screams of the terrified people that were sure to follow him and the sadistic laughter from Ivan the Terrible.

While Terrible was not an exact translation of the title Grozny, it aptly fit him at this moment. Only someone so terrible, so vicious and vile could do this to another person.

This was his last thought as his body finally gave it up and let him die, sending him into oblivion.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"Holy fucking shit Daniel!" Jack yelped, horror clearly written across his face. What his friend had just described had made his time in that stinking Iraqi prison look like a vacation at Disneyland – well, almost. _Fucking Saddam_, he thought briefly, momentarily flashing back to that horrible time in his life, briefly remembering his own experiences in the art of torture: the beating of the soles of his feet and them being made to stand at attention for hours, the electric-shocks, and being subjected to mock executions.

"Jack! Jack!" Daniel said, shaking his friend gently. "Come back from there. It's okay."

The Colonel, hearing Daniel's gentle voice, came back from that terrible place in his mind. He now knew exactly why Daniel had always been the one that could reach him when he experienced flashbacks to the time he had been captured. Before he had found out about his friend's big secret, he figured that Daniel was just being a good friend, an ear that was willing to hear and support him. While Daniel was that, he also could relate to what it had been like to be tortured. He knew.

_Shit, who in the hell did he have to help him deal with the aftermath of that_, he wondered.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to bring back anything," Daniel said quietly.

"It's not your fault," Jack said, visibly shaking himself, releasing his mind through a physical gesture from the past. "What happened after that? Obviously you two got better," he waved his hand at the two Immortals.

Methos and Daniel shared a knowing glance.

"It took me awhile to heal. By the time I did and was able to hide myself from the Tsar and his personal storm troopers, the population in the city of Novgorod had been devastated. The reign of terror for the city ended on 12 February 1570. By then, the majority of the population that had survived the purge was forced to relocate to Moscow or elsewhere. I was able to finally pull the pike out of Methos' frozen body, which had been noticeably gnawed on by a pack of dogs. It took him awhile to heal. Even though our natural healing abilities will heal most injuries, it can take awhile for it to completely heal us, especially if the damage is severe," Daniel explained, sitting back on the couch, watching his friend's faces for their reactions, which ranged from rage, to sickened horror, to shock.

"So that's why you said that being whipped today was child's play," Sam observed, her voice small. Her face had drained of its color and her eyes looked like they were brimming with tears.

Daniel nodded and reached over to squeeze her knee. "It was a long time ago Sam. The worst part was that I was bald. While my quickening might heal my injuries, it couldn't grow my hair back any quicker than a normal person's," he groused with a hint of humor.

"What transpired after that DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked, his face an expression of shock that the Tau'ri had a history of cruelty that rivaled the Goa'uld. While he knew that the history of Earth was not always the best, it still shocked him that humans could behave so horribly. He had seen plenty shows on the History Channel with the archeologist to know about the darker side to human history.

Daniel shrugged. "We got the hell out of the country as quickly as we could. The Old Man here went back to Greece to his life of luxury with beautiful women, while I went back to Egypt and reveled in the warmth and sand of the desert. My home there had never been so wonderful as it was after spending the winter in Russia."

"Danny, I have a question," Jack said, leaning forward slightly in his chair.

"Yes Jack?" Daniel asked a faint smile on his face.

"You've been tortured more than anyone I know, even before we found about your Immortality. Do you have some sort of fetish about getting tortured? I mean, I could understand maybe if you had a ladies underwear thing or were into plushies, but for Christ's sake Danny, I don't get it!"

"Sometimes I get caught up in things. I think it's a part of my dharma or something, but it wasn't like I was waterboarded or worse every day. I have had some really wonderful moments in my life. But being tortured has given me a very unique education. I mean, get me alone in a room with someone like Anubis or Ba'al, hand me a pair of garden shears, a popcorn popper, and a roll of duct tape and I'll do my best evil MacGyver impression for you."

"You're twisted," was all Jack could say.

Daniel then proceeded to tell them a story about Narda, his first wife, while Methos added in a few amusing anecdotes to help lighten the dark mood that had descended upon the group.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know.

The information about Ivan the Terrible came from several sources. Some of it came from my class notes from the History of Russia: pre-history to 1914 (I take really good notes). Other sources came from a few text books, Wiki, the official site of the city of Novgorod, several other sites about Ivan the Terrible, torture, and the like. The bit about Jack's "experience" in Iraq came from the Smoking Gun and Amnesty International. Saddam and his sick fucks did that and worse to POWs, Kurds, and fellow Iraqi men, women, and children. Also, the bit about the giant frying pan did actually occur. I remember my professor in college talking about it and the sick things that Ivan did and relating it to the purges of Stalin and his contemporaries in other countries (members of the Axis Powers and Mao). Just so that you don't think I am a complete psycho, my senior thesis was on war crimes and crimes against humanity – I tended to pay attention to stuff like that. I don't know where and exactly when Ivan had a giant frying pan made and used, but it was something I wanted to use for this story. I hope this didn't upset too many people and if you were grossed out (as well as you should be) I am sorry. If it is any consolation, this was tamed down just a tad from what I originally had written. I know…ick.

Translations: 1) τρελλό άτομο crazy man in Greek supposedly; 2) Они приходят! Бог покидал нас! They are coming! God had abandoned us! in Russian supposedly. I am sure they aren't exact translations, but it was the best I could do and I stayed away from BableFish this time.

Thank you to Lorilei for pushing me to get busy and write. You are a great, yet sadistic cheerleader. Also, thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read my story, leave a review, or put me/the story on a list. Thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart!


	12. Chapter 11

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

The next day, more like the afternoon since Jack and Sam had to work off their hangovers. While Sam was silent about it, Jack loudly complained about Daniel's overly cheerful mood. Methos had to go back into work that day, much to his relief, so he had not crashed on the Colonel's couch. Instead, completely sober, he drove himself home. Teal'c of course was the poster-boy for sobriety. 

By the time everyone had sobered up, eaten a healthy breakfast, and had taken a shower, the team was ready to face a day of shopping.

Daniel, looking relaxed in a pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and dark sweater, quickly pulled on a long leather coat that helped to conceal his sword that was hiding in a secret pocket that had been sewn into the lining. He was grateful to Jack, Methos, and the others, for preserving that specific article of clothing. It was so hard to find a jacket of the right length and thickness that would mask the presence of an antique, but lethal weapon.

Daniel needed to get some of the basics for his new home. While he hadn't found a home yet, he figured that it wouldn't hurt him to get some of the basics. Jack had promised him that he could store his new stuff in his basement or garage until he found a place of his own.

While his more valuable (not junk) belongings had been stored by his teammates, some of the stuff like bed linens, cookware, and the like had been given away to charity. Sam had figured that he wouldn't have minded if stuff like that had been given to a family in need so most of it had been donated. Luckily they had kept his art, his piano, weapons, journals and books.

It had been quite the struggle to keep Abbott away from Daniel's journals. Teal'c had to actually threaten the man with bodily harm if he continued to persist in acquiring their friend's personal diaries. Rumor has it the big guy threatened to dislocate the man's shoulder, shave his head, and tape his eye lids open and force him to watch Star Wars Episode One again and again. Teal'c could creatively cruel and nothing was crueler than making someone watch Jar-Jar repeatedly.

The group climbed into Jack's truck and headed over to Janet's house. Janet has expressed a desire earlier that she would be more than happy to help Daniel find items for his new home.

The short, fireball of a doctor rushed out of the house, purse and coat in hand. Janet wasn't about to miss a chance to go shopping for Daniel, especially when it was going to be on his dime. The man had promised her and Sam that they could help him pick out linen-like things, as long as they didn't stray into the girly-realm, which meant no pink, flowers, lace, or cute animals and children.

Sucker.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"How about this?" Sam asked, holding up a butterfly-themed bathroom ensemble, as she stood in the middle of the bathroom section of Bed, Bath, and Beyond. "You said nothing about insects."

The look Daniel shot her would have made the Goa'uld as a whole tremble in fear.

Janet laughed at the both of them. "How about something more masculine?" she asked, holding up a dark brown wastebasket that had bronze accents. "Its tasteful and all of the accessories coordinate with each other."

"Fine," Daniel sighed, looking up to the heavens, praying to the gods of old that Jack and Teal'c would come and rescue him. Unfortunately Teal'c was busying himself in the candle section and Jack was busy being fascinated by the beer making kits on the other side of the store.

Janet, noting the look of exasperation, with a hint of desperation, made a decision. "Daniel, if you give me your credit card, I promise that I will keep Sam in line and get you what you need. I know you like blue, so I'll find you something nice for the bedroom, and get you the stuff for your kitchen. Go hang out with the guys, hit the Barnes and Nobel store next door and we'll meet you over there in two hours or less," the red-head said, with a slight smile on her face.

Daniel cursed under his breath. It didn't matter the age he was in, he hated shopping. While he could spend hours at a museum or on a dig looking at broken pottery shards, being trapped in a store or market place set him on edge. It made the Y chromosome in him demand that he smash something.

He pulled out his wallet, a nice black leather one that Jack had given him a week after he had come back from Vis Urbana. Daniel pulled out a credit card and handed it over to Janet with an order that if there was anything girly in her purchases he promised to give Jack tips on how to make her nurses cry for weeks upon end.

Of course he knew, as well as she did, that Daniel didn't mean a word of it. He just had to say it to keep up his manly appearance.

Once he left the women to their devices, he went and found Jack and Teal'c. Teal'c had found several candles he declared to be satisfactory and Jack had decided to buy the brew your own beer at home kit that he had found. Once the men made their purchases and Daniel had had a word with the store's manager, letting her know that the two women he had been with had his permission to use his credit card, they headed over to Barnes and Nobel. Daniel had given the manager the best poor me, puppy dog look to convince her that nothing wrong was afoot; he just wanted out and away from the shop-aholic women. His pouty lips and sexy eyes had the fifty-some-odd year old woman melting at his feet, willing to do whatever he asked of her.

"You dog," Jack said, nudging his friend, knowing exactly what Daniel was up to.

"I do not understand why you refer to DanielJackson as a canine O'Neill," Teal'c rumbled. "He is clearly a member of the homo sapiens species."

"It's an expression," Jack said, clearly missing the amused look on the Jaffa's face. There was something about purposefully mangling human expressions and exasperating O'Neill in the process that caused his heart to swell.

The men walked out to the truck and stowed their purchases in the covered bed of the truck.

Daniel then drug Jack in to the gigantic bookstore chain, with the promise that Jack could go lose himself in the sports section while he browsed the history section and Teal'c hit the sci-fi section. When Jack started to complain, Daniel reminded him that the other options were to go join the women as they shopped. That shut Jack up in nothing flat.

Two hours quickly passed. Sam and Janet found the Colonel and Teal'c sitting in the café, each of them nursing cups of hot tea.

"Where's Daniel?" Sam asked, looking pleased with her self, sitting down between her teammates at the counter.

Janet, also looking pleased with herself. She had successfully convinced Sam that no, Daniel would not be happy if they had gotten the blue and yellow flowered plates and that the Colorwave Graphite 16-piece dinner set (two sets actually) would be a better choice. They had both agreed that the Shangrila flatware would be a perfect complement to the place settings.

"He's over in the history section, more specifically standing in front of the ancient world history section, quietly cussing in two languages over the apparent idiocy of the writers, especially one by the name of Steven Raynor," Jack sighed. "We tried to bribe him away from the section with coffee, mentioned that he was scaring small children, and made a college freshman cry, but we got nothing. You're turn," he muttered and returned his focus to his tea and copy of In-Fisherman.

Sam and Janet looked at each other.

Janet sighed. "Fine, I'll take one for the supposed great and almighty flagship team of the SGC, she muttered," and stalked over to the history section, doing her best to ignore the trashy romance books that were silently calling her name.

"Daniel," Janet called, watching her friend flip furiously through pages of a book.

"Can you believe that jerk got all of these supposed enlightened people to review his book? Steven claims that the myths of Egypt were isolated to the region and do not have a direct cross-cultural pollination until the age of Ptolemy and that is the height of arrogance to think that the mythology had any real influence on western culture beyond Roman," Daniel raged.

"Well, we all know he's a jerk, but we need to go," Janet said placating. "You were right and he was wrong."

Daniel shook his head. "But the point is that his points are loosely made, with very little effort to disprove the idea of cross-pollination and influence upon other cultures. He ignores way too much evidence and these great minds of academia totally kiss his butt in hopes that through him they'll get free publicity for their own hack writings."

Janet took a deep breath and willed herself to not grab the man by his ear and drag him away. "We know Daniel. But think of it this way, Steven might have a nice shiny published book with his picture on it and you don't, but you aren't the only one on base that can't publish what they've discovered. Dr. Lee, Sam, myself, along with all of the other scientists on base have to hear about our colleagues out there in the _real world_ go on about this or that theory when we know they are wrong and can't say a damn ting about it. Let it go. Besides, you make better money, get to travel more, speak more languages than he does, and get to meet really interesting people. Do you think Steven gets to meet people like Thor everyday?"

Daniel stood there and thought it over for a minute. Janet was right, as usual.

"Fine," he said, shrugging. "Where are we going next?"

"The Colonel mentioned Circuit City and that you need a new television set, along with a DVD player, and the like," Janet said, tugging on her friend's hand, hauling him away from the source of his irritation.

Daniel let her lead him away. If his heart was really into staying at the bookstore, he could have easily overpowered the diminutive doctor with little ease. It wasn't a matter of knowing how disarm and kill someone twenty-six different ways, unarmed; he simply towered over her much smaller stature.

"How much did you two spend?" Daniel asked suddenly, remembering that he had handed his credit card over to the two biggest shop-aholics of the SGC.

Janet winced, but she figured (correctly) that Danil the Immortal actually had more than enough money to support many third-world countries. "You know the phrase don't ask, don't tell?"

Daniel nodded, feeling slightly numb.

"That also applies to shopping," she said as they rejoined the group in the café.

"Oh gods," Daniel groaned.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

They walked into Circuit City, as a group, but split up immediately, having divied up their respective tasks. Sam went to go look at the laptops; Janet went to look at the DVD players; Teal'c was in charge of finding a stereo system; and Jack was in charge of Daniel and finding a sweet television that would be appropriate for movie nights, hockey-watching, and the occasional special on the History Channel.

"How about this one?" Jack asked, pointing to a television against the wall, ignoring the hovering sales clerk.

Daniel looked at his friend with a baleful look. "Jack, why would I need a fifty inch television set?"

Jack looked at the Immortal as if he were crazy. "Why? Because it's fifty freaking inches!"

"So to you size matters?"

Jack O'Neill, the man that reveled in making new recruits, cadets, and the occasional nun cry, looked stunned for a second that the normally reserved archeologist would say something like that. Then again, the reserved, helpless, geeky archeologist had grown into a confident, former Ascended Being, and incredible smartass. Though to be honest, the helpless geek personae had only been a front, showing the world what they wanted to see; it had never really existed.

"No, it'll let me see the blood on the ice when I come over for hockey nights," was Jack's response.

"Hockey? Somehow I don't exactly recall ever liking hockey," Daniel said, scrunching up his face.

"You were a big fan of the sport. I swear! You told me that there were some holes in your memory. This must be one of them," Jack lied with ease.

The two friends haggled and argued over which television to buy. Jack's opinion was bigger the better. Daniel wanted something a bit more practical. They finally agreed on a LG thirty-two inch LCD HDTV. Jack then pointed out that Daniel would need an entertainment center which they could get at a later date.

The others returned with purchases in tow, in two occasions (Sam and Teal'c had nervous store employees following them, though Teal'c sales clerk looked a bit more on the terrified side of nervous).

"Okay, how much of a headache will I have when I get my credit card bill?" Daniel asked, looking at the items in everyone's hands.

"We didn't get rid of your tapes or DVDs, so you'll need a DVD-VCR combo player," Janet explained, showing off the Samsung box in her hands.

"I know you have your computer and laptop at work, but you'll need something at home. Plus with this, I can make all sorts of upgrades to it so it will be able to handle anything you bring home from work, from a security stand-point," she said, ignoring the murderous look coming from the Colonel.

"DanielJackson, I have investigated the options that this establishment provides and I feel that I have procured the optimal sound system for your new place of residency. Matt here has reassured me that if you choose, you would be able to strip the pigment off the interior fortifications of your domicile with this particular system," the Jaffa rumbled, causing everyone to look at him for a second, most of all the clueless sales staff.

"Good one T," Jack laughed, noting the miniscule smile on the large man's face.

Daniel sighed. "I am going to have a heart attack when I get my credit card bills, aren't I?" he asked as they made their way to the front counter to pay for the items.

Janet handed over the credit card he had given her earlier and he in turn turned it over to the cashier. "As your doctor, I can say with authority that you'll survive," she said dryly

"DanielJackson, I have found that if you wish to have items that will last and are of good quality, you must be willing to part with a certain amount of money. In the end, if you get items of lesser quality, it will cost you more in the end," Teal'c said, dispensing with his sage advice. "Also, did you not inform us when we went on vacation in the southern state of Dakota that you are in possession of a vast amount of wealth?"

At this point Daniel wished that the earth would open up and swallow him whole or at least for an alien invasion to take place.

Neither happened, but something else did.

Daniel suddenly felt a familiar pounding and buzzing sensation, originating at the base of his skull. He ignored his friends, looking around for the source of his disturbance.

Coming out of a back room was a man. He looked young, not more than twenty-five, but as Daniel well knew, appearances could be deceptive. He was of average height, weight, and build, with brown hair and dark brown eyes. Other than the Fire Dogs polo shirt and name tag he was wearing, he was one of the most non-descript person Daniel had seen in a long time. The Immortal could easily blend into a crowd and get lost easily. A very handy trick to have, Daniel thought to himself.

The other Immortal crossed the isles, all the time looking at Daniel with contempt and out-right hostility.

"Yes?" Danil said, matching the other Immortal's hostility with his own.

"Why are you here?" Kevin, according to his name tag, hissed, his eyes narrowed.

Danil rolled his eyes. "Getting my teeth cleaned. What does it look like? I'm shopping. Is that a problem?"

"This is my store. I don't like others being here."

Danil snorted. "I'm supposed to care why? This isn't Holy Ground. How old are you? When in the hell did you move to Colorado Springs?"

"I'm old enough and I moved here last year," Kevin snarled, not caring about the strange looks they were getting from everyone.

The Ancient Immortal mentally shook his head. "Good for you. Now can I finish my shopping and be on my way? I promise that I won't come back and ruin your happy existence."

"Bullshit! I challenge you," the angry geek snapped.

"Why?" Danil asked, totally confused.

Kevin stood there, his hands balled into fists resting on his hips. "Because you are like all of the rest. You'll come after me eventually. You're probably new to the Game anyway and just want my power."

Danil stood there and blinked. He had never come across such a stupid Immortal. _Hell, even Silas wasn't this stupid_, he thought to himself. "Did you not feel my Quickening signature? I don't exactly feel like a newbie. So why don't you just go back to doing whatever it is that you do and leave me the fuck alone."

"I challenged you. You can't back out! We can have it out here if you want?"

Danil ground his teeth. "Quit being retarded. You know our fight isn't for mortals' eyes. Let's take it outside and around the back."

"Don't get involved. I'll take care of this and be back before you know it," Danil said quietly to his friends.

"Daniel, you aren't going to kill him are you? He's just a kid," Janet asked.

Danil shook his head. "I don't want to, but if I have to I will. I think he's just being an arrogant pain in the ass that I had the unfortunate luck of running into."

"I wish you well DanielJackson," Teal'c intoned.

Jack looked at his friend carefully. "Just remember that if you lose I will not be happy with you and there won't be a second chance for you. No glow club. Do you even have you're, you know what?"

The Immortal patted his long brown leather coat affectionately. "I don't leave home without it Jack. Don't worry. Just stay here please."

"I'll be waiting for you. Wait about 5 minutes or so before following," Danil ordered the idiot that had been brash enough to challenge him.

With that, Danil, the Immortal peaceful explorer with a nasty side to his personality walked out of the store followed by Kevin the Immortal geek with a death wish, several minutes later (there was no need to announce to the mortals at large that something was up – at least O'Sullivan had enough sense to see that).

"Sir, you your total cost will be $4,530.85," the cashier called after the Immortal.

"Sign for me Jack," Danil called out, grinding his teeth. "I left something in the truck."

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Together the Immortals walked out of the store and headed around to the back of the red and white building. Danil checked for cameras, but saw none.

Kevin the geek snorted. "The store is in such bad shape financially, which was why you got such a good deal on your stuff, they won't spring for new cameras to replace the ones I broke a couple of months ago when I took a new Immortal's head. It wasn't that powerful of a quickening, but it was destructive enough. This is going to be so cool. It will be like how Darth Vader faced and killed Obi Wan." The boy was fairly bouncing with excitement.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Danil asked, totally shocked that whatever true god that was up there in charge of deciding who could and could not become Immortal would allow suck a dork to become one. "How old are you?"

"I've been an immortal for eight years now," he replied, taking a few practice swings with his sword.

"Did your teacher ever tell you not to be stupid?"

"He taught me what I needed to know then I killed him," Kevin said coldly, not knowing how much that simple statement pissed off Danil.

However, Kevin the geek didn't need to know that. "Are you going to at least introduce yourself or shall I just refer to you as Kevin of the Fire Dog people?"

"My name is Kevin O'Sullivan. What's yours?"

Danil let a small, but evil smile touch his lips. "I am Danil of the People of the Sea. I was also known once upon a time as Hades," he said, holding his sword, the Jian, in his left hand; quickly he engaged the whelp and the fight was on.

Danil and Kevin crossed swords, the sound ringing through the air. Metal clashed against metal. Danil quietly prayed that no one would bother to hear the noise and come and investigate.

Kevin's feet shuffled, moving hesitantly across the gravel and snow covered loading area while Danil was sure footed and nimble. While he was content to play the idiot for awhile, he was not willing to deliberately trip himself up, risking a quick beheading by a fool.

"You don't have to do this," Danil said, despite his anger at the kid, hoping that he would see reason.

"You're scared," Kevin said, referring to how timid Danil of the Sea monkeys or whatever he called himself was fighting, not understanding that the name that had been used to introduce him-self was not a modern moniker; that it wasn't something derived from an RPG.

Danil was playing mostly defensive, letting the kid think he had an advantage, but all the while keeping an amused smile on his face.

"Why are you smiling? I'm beating you!" Kevin snarled.

"Because I know something you don't know," Danil said, amused at this point.

"What's that?" Kevin snorted as he took a mighty swipe at Danil, hoping to catch the other off guard, thinking he was facing a newbie.

"I'm not left-handed," he said, immediately switching his grip and let loose a flurry of strikes that Kevin could barely defend him-self from, if at all. It finally seeped through his thick head that Danil of the Sea monkeys was not a virgin to the Game - that this man was literally a sword master. And the fact that he was so completely fucked it wasn't funny.

Before he knew what had happened, Danil disarmed Kevin and had him on his knees, the Jian pressing against his neck.

"Is this where I'm supposed to beg for forgiveness?" Kevin squeaked, trying and failing miserably to sound brave.

Danil snorted and swung his sword, cleanly severing the head from the body releasing the boy's Quickening.

Mist began to pour out of the headless body, creeping across the ground, rolling towards the victor.

Blue lightening crackled, lashing out from the body, touching the building, lights, the metal railing along the wall, power lines, and finally Danil. He screamed as the energy filled him, all of the power and knowledge that had been Kevin of the O'Sullivans now belonged to him. Through the transference of O'Sullivan's Quickening to him, Danil was able to see that while O'Sullivan him-self had been pretty weak, the Quickening of his former teacher had been pretty powerful.

This had been Danil's first Quickening since he had returned to the land of the breathing and solid. He reveled in the feeling of victory, even though the fight had been lame and the loser even lamer. It helped to connect him with his identity, with the knowledge that he was an Immortal, that while the public aspects of his life had been destroyed, his other, more secretive life and skills were still present. It was hard to describe how he could feel happy after killing a moronic punk that had gotten himself in way over his head, but there was something there that he could appreciate.

Soon it was over. Danil picked him his sword where he had dropped it once the lightening had hit him. He then walked over to Kevin's sword and picked it up. It was a rapier, of Spanish design probably made in the seventeenth century if he had to make a guess. He really didn't want it, but he couldn't just leave it lying around. Besides, since Abbott had been such a nice guy about the whole Watcher thing, he figured that it would make a nice present for the man. He also prayed that the Watcher Clean-up Crew would arrive and take care of the body. He did not want to be hauled in for questioning about the mysterious death by decapitation that occurred behind Circuit City.

Daniel, no longer Danil, concealed the swords in the folds of his coat and calmly walked back around to the front of the store and found that the sliding glass doors had been blown out. He stepped through the shattered glass and took in the sight that filled his vision.

Televisions, large and small had been blown apart, several of them on fire. Glass and plastic crunched underneath his boots, Electronic parts were either melted or shattered. DVDs were everywhere. Stereo speakers had been blown out. Cash registers were shorted out.

The oddest sight was Jack standing there in the middle of the floor, holding a hand to the back of his head, while Janet was trying to pry it away to see what kind of damage had been done.

"What in the hell happened here?" Daniel asked, honestly confused. The Quickening from his perspective hasn't been that powerful.

Teal'c looked over at his friend, with relief, mixed in there with annoyance and a side of humor. "Apparently while you were out at the truck, there was a mysterious excess of energy in the electrical lines that overloaded the system, causing this scene of destruction and chaos. Did you perhaps notice anything amiss while you were outside with your task?"

Daniel shook his head, his eyes wide. "Nope, not in the least. What happened to Jack?"

Sam, at this point, was struggling to not laugh. The scene around them was not a place where laughter was appropriate, but she could not help herself. She held in her hands a boxed set of DVDs.

"When the power surge occurred, the Colonel was hit in the head with this," she said, choking on her laughter.

"Quiet you," Jack ground out, hating her for laughing at his predicament.

Daniel leaned slightly forward, looking at the title on the box that Sam held.

_MacGyver, the complete 5__th__ season._

"Oh," was all Daniel could say, before breaking into open laughter, and then quickly sobered. "What about the stuff I just bought?"

"We need to get the Colonel back to the mountain. He might need some stitches," Janet called out, trying to catch everyone's attention. "Your stuff can wait."

"You so owe me Spacemonkey," Jack growled.

Daniel did his best to hide his smile and contain himself. He had just experienced a Quickening and had seen the aftermath of his friend being beaned in the head with a copy of MacGyver. It was funny, in a sick way.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. 

I have a vendetta against CC and I just wanted an excuse to, in a literary sense, get some revenge against them because I can't do it in real life (I'd go to jail). Yeah, think what you will about the Kevin O'Sullivan character, but he served a purpose. Plus, it officially put Daniel back in the Game.

Thank you to everyone that has been reading my stuff and a double thank you to those of you that have put me/the story on a list or have left a review. I do appreciate it. Again, another big thank you to Lorilei for nagging, I mean encouraging, me to get this chapter done and out.


	13. Chapter 12

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

It had been a couple of weeks since the incident at Circuit City. Between then and the present, Daniel had managed to find a two bedroom house and had moved in to the quiet neighborhood. It was nice to finally have a place to call home, something outside of the SGC and his office. Now the place was furnished, with help from Janet and Cassie (Sam had been barred from helping because she wanted flowers on his furniture) and he was happy to have a place that was his own. Also, with the help of Methos and Siler, he also installed a security system that was designed to help protect him from any rouge elements within the Watchers and greedy burglars. He remembered clearly what had happened with Horton and wanted some sort of warning against an attack like the one that had happened to Darius. While it wouldn't do much good against another Immortal or even the Goa'uld, it would give him some protection against the more mundane threats and obnoxious, nut-case Watchers out there.

Once the house-hunting, purchase, and move-in had occurred, things settled down. It was quiet and Daniel reveled in the quietness.

Unfortunately, the bizarreness that surrounded the SGC reared its ugly head and bit everyone in the ass, especially one Jonathan P. O'Neill, Colonel in the USAF.

He got him-self a Mini-me.

It hadn't been fun for anyone (well, Sam had gotten a chuckle out of it), especially the cloned version of Jack. In the end, it had worked out and Thor had fixed it so that the kid wouldn't die like all of the other clones had previously. Also, later SG1 and mini-Jack had been given the opportunity to watch Thor bitch-slap Loki for being an idiot.

After the hubbub and excitement had died down, everyone had been returned to the SGC. Officials, with the right clearance, within the Air Force were working over-time to create and set up an identity for the teenager.

In the meantime, mini-Jack found him-self alone and went seeking someone that wouldn't treat him like a kid or feel awkward talking to him.

He found Daniel in his office, surrounded by artifacts, papers, and books. The Immortal was busy pounding away on the computer, no doubt writing up a mission report on this latest fiasco.

"Hey, can I come in?" mini-Jack asked hesitantly at the door way.

"Since when have you ever asked for permission to do anything?" Daniel asked, pulling a pen he had clenched between his teeth out, looking up and over at the teenager that was in his doorway.

The teen shrugged and came into the room and threw him-self down on the lumpy, yet comfortable couch. "Well, that was him and I'm not him, even though I am, but still. You know?"

Daniel looked at him curiously. "As weird as your last statement was, yes, I know. What's going on?" he asked and threw the pen that he had pulled out of his mouth on to the desk where it bounced slightly and disappeared underneath a pile of papers.

"I'm bored. The bigwigs are trying to figure out what do with me, trying to come up with some sort of plausible cover story as to why a fifteen year old is an emancipated minor, and keep the NID off my scrawny ass," mini-Jack replied, tapping out an unrecognizable rhythm on the arm of the battered piece of furniture.

"Why come to me and not Sam, Teal'c, or the Colonel?" Daniel asked, folding his blue clad arms across his chest, staring at the teen.

He sighed and picked at the jeans and t-shirt someone had bought him at the BX over at Peterson. "Sam keeps looking at me like she wants to ruffle my hair and pinch my cheeks, Teal'c wants me to kel'no'reem with him, and the Colonel keeps giving me weird looks. So I thought I'd come and see what you are up to."

Daniel mentally rolled his eyes at his teammates – well, mostly at Sam and Jack. The mini-me Jack needed comfort, not to be treated like a cute puppy or a freak of nature. However, he had to admit, his whole ability to actually exist was a bit freakish.

"First off, what do I call you?" Daniel asked.

"You're mentally calling me Mini-me aren't you?" the blond-headed kid said, his brown eyes narrowing dangerously.

"No," Daniel lied.

"Yes you are," he accused him.

"No."

"Yes."

"Well, maybe," Daniel admitted. "If you don't want me to call you Mini-me, give me something else to call you. Did they let you pick out a new name?"

"Yep," young version Jack said proudly.

"And?"

"Jon H. Simpson," Jon said proudly, a shit-eating grin if there ever was one plastered across his face, enjoying the look of absolute shock and disbelief on Daniel's face.

"Holy crap! What did the General say when you announced this one?" Daniel asked, not knowing why he was so shocked – it was such a Jack thing for him to do after all.

"The General just rolled his eyes and told Paul to get on it," Jon grinned.

"Did you tell Jack?"

"Yep and he laughed."

Daniel shook his head. "So what now?"

"I remember you telling me about you dying in public in the Sixties. I assume that you've died other times and had to move on because of that. How do you deal with it all, leaving everything behind and starting over?"

_Ah ha_, Daniel thought triumphantly, _it was more than just the others being weird as to why he came down here_.

"Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. Leaving the monastery where my friends set me on fire was easy; leaving behind my first wife's family wasn't as easy. They were good people, but I had to move on.

"I was once killed in ancient Egypt, at the time of the Exodus, and had to move on. I eventually met up with some people that I had a kinship of sorts. It didn't help that I was pretty pissed at the world. Hanging out with them was interesting, but eventually I had to move on least I get totally caught up in what they were doing. I did my share of stuff, but it was out of hand. We met up again from time to time and they were always welcome in my house, but it wasn't the same and leaving them behind was hard. They – well one of them really, understood."

"Christ up in heaven Danny! Are you talking about," Jon asked his face pale.

"Yes," Daniel replied, not elaborating. He really didn't want to go into it just yet. "But there were other times where it was hard to move on, but I had to. I couldn't keep living in the past. It's not healthy and wouldn't change anything in the present."

"How did you adjust to being on your own, leaving everything behind?" Jon asked, not wanting to really hear about that time period in his friend's life. He wasn't sure his mind could handle that bit of information just yet.

"You just deal with it. You don't have a choice in the matter. Besides, you don't have to totally leave everything behind. Barring planetary destruction and alien invasion, the SCG will always be here. When I leave, hopefully by my choice, it will have to be at least a generation, or longer, before I can come back. You can come back here in less than ten years."

"But the people will be different," Jon whined.

"True, but by then you'll be different person yourself," Daniel reasoned.

"But I'll still be Jack O'Neill," Jon persisted.

"Yes and no," Daniel explained as gently as he could. "Genetically, you'll be identical to the Jack I went through the Gate to Abydos for the first time all those years ago, but the minute you step outside of Cheyenne Mountain, you will have experiences that the older version will never have. You'll have your new name, despite its uniqueness," _stupid__ity_ he mentally switched out the words, "new identity, new everything. You won't be Jack O'Neill. You'll be Jon H. Simpson. You'll adapt because you have to. Think of it as your own semi-shot at Immortality, without having to worry about people coming after your head with a sword. You will get to do stuff that you always wanted to do before but couldn't or can't do now."

Jon thought that one over for awhile. _I can go back to playing hockey competitively again,_ he thought, a small smile creeping across his face.

Then suddenly an idea came to him. "Like making out with innocent, yet frisky sophomores and not going to jail for it?" he said out-loud, knowing that it would disturb his friend. "Oh God! I can't do that! They're kids!" he said, realizing that his peers would be young enough to be his own kids.

Daniel made a face at hearing that, but quickly placated his friend. "First off, I didn't need to hear that. Going on, physically you are fifteen. You won't be breaking any laws and if you go after your teachers, having some twisted Mrs. Robinson fixation, you'll get them in trouble. Stick with girls your physical age. Besides, how do you think I feel when Adam and I are confronted with dating or marrying someone? Talk about May-December relationships!"

"Oh," Jon said.

"Take this opportunity and have fun and maybe even learn something while you're at it. You're never too old for that," Daniel said, sitting back in his chair.

"You would know, but why do I have to go to school? Can't I do something else? Can't I join the military or something? I heard Paul and the general talking about enrolling me in high school."

"No," Daniel said. "This country has laws against children being in the military. You have to be seventeen to enlist with a parent's permission. Also, by law you have to go to school until you are sixteen and then you can drop out with a parent's permission. After that, if you want, you can always flip burgers and waste your life away at a fry basket if you want, but somehow I don't think General Hammond will let you do that to yourself. Though we could always ship you off to Bangladesh and let you work in a sweat shop for pennies a day, sixteen hours a day, while making clothes for the Gap."

Jon shuddered at that. "No thanks. Looks like its Algebra, English, Spanish, and whatever else they make kids take these days."

"You speak Spanish. What's the point of taking it if you already know it?'

Jon rolled his eyes at the man's ignorance. "Hello? Easy A," he replied.

Daniel rolled his eyes in return.

They sat there in companionable silence for awhile before Jon brought up another topic. "So, do you think you'll be around for the next couple of years?"

"Probably. Why?" Daniel asked, his eyes narrowed, knowing that Jon was asking for some reason that did not pertain to his status as an Immortal actively participating in the Game.

"Well, in case, I don't know, get bored, need someone to bail me out of jail, or make an occasional beer run, will you come around? Also, I'm going to need someone be my emergency contact person at school," Jon grinned.

"Sure kid," Daniel said laughing, "Though I don't know about the beer runs. You are a growing boy and alcohol affects a young person's brain more than an adult's."

"I'm not saying for you to go out every Friday and get me a keg. Besides, if you don't I'll only ask Adam and you know he'll say yes," Jon said reasonably. "And I'm not a kid."

Daniel grinned. "Jon, compared to me, just about everyone else is a kid. If it helps any, I consider Jack to be a kid – a big kid trapped in an adult's body. At least you have an excuse."

"Fine," Jon said huffily.

"You'll do fine. Try to enjoy yourself and don't let the past and memories get you down," Daniel said, full of sage advice.

"Oh yeah, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, then I don't know what is. Hypocrite much Daniel," Jon snarked.

Daniel had the grace to blush slightly. "You'll do fine," he repeated himself.

After that Jon got called away to the General's office and Daniel got back to his work, silently wishing his new friend Jon the best of luck.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know.

Yes, this is tag-ish to "Fragile Balance," but I wanted to incorporate that episode into my story somehow and what I have hinted at before about Daniel's past. Also, I had a good time writing this chapter. Having mini-me Jack pick the name Jon H. Simpson just seemed to be a Jack thing to do, plus using Jon as a first name seems logical and others have used it. As for Jack's middle name being P – for Patrick – according to Longstreet Pete over at SG-Writers Corner it was used in Cold Lazarus, if someone disagrees, that's okay, but I like the name Patrick. Thank you Annie and Longstreet Pete for your help.

Also, I did mention to two controversial topics: underage drinking and teacher/student relations. To cover my ass, just in case, if you are underage, don't do it. A young adult's brain is affected greater by alcohol than an adult's is. I won't say that I didn't drink underage in college (not in high school – my parents would have killed me), but it's still not a good idea. Secondly, as for the teacher/student relationship, I will say as a teacher –NO! GROSS! ICKY! ILLEGAL! GET A FREAKING LIFE YOU WEIRDOS! Thank you.

Anyways, please feel free to leave me an early Christmas present in the form of a review. You don't want me to be sad and cry do you? Please? Anyways, though it is a tad early I wish each and every one of you merry and blessed Christmas. Be safe and well.


	14. Chapter 13

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

A week later, after they had freed Ry'ac and Bray'tac from the Jaffa slave camp, Hammond informed SG1 that they had pulled training duty for the next two weeks. While there were others that ran the SGC's training program on a regular basis, field teams were brought in to assist the regular personnel in training when more specialized skills were necessary or when the trainers were either on leave or off world. This time, SG1 had the luck of being the team to take over the training for the new recruits. Everyone, including Teal'c grumbled about this latest assignment.

Training duty sucked.

The next day, on a cheerless, cold Monday at 0600, SG1 found themselves over at the Air Force Academy at the Cadet Field House's indoor track facilities faced with fifteen new recruits to the program from all branches of the military and the civilian sector, including the Coast Guard. One was a SEALs stolen from the Navy; three Marines; two soldiers had been taken from the 10th Mountain Brigade, 3rd Brigade Combat Team; two Air Force officers and an enlisted personnel; and a lone recruit from the Coast Guard. The remaining people were civilians, scientists and the like with specific areas of expertise that the military could not supply themselves. Ten of the individuals were men, leaving the remaining five female. They all came from different walks of life and backgrounds. Their ethnic origins were a lively mix, reflecting the racial diversity of the country.

The military personnel seemed to be made from the same cloth. All were in good shape, intelligent, and all had seen combat in some form or another. However, none of them had ever seen combat off world. Despite all they had done and seen, they were considered fresh meat by the standards of the SGC, especially SG1. The civilians, while none of them looked like doughboys, had not lead lives that depended upon their level of fitness. Most of them had come from academia or the private sector and their closest experience to combat involved scrabbling for a larger share of the yearly budget. One however, had been in the Army Reserves and had seen combat in Iraq before being discharged.

"Attention on deck," one of the SEALs called out, bringing everyone to attention, notifying the recruits that a superior officer was arriving. The civilians, with one exception, however looked around with some small amount of confusion.

"At ease," the Colonel said irritably, walking up to the group that was gathered on the indoor track. Following behind him were the other members of SG1: Major Carter, Teal'c (with his gold seal covered with a bandana), and Dr. Jackson all dressed in their blue utility uniforms, minus the patches.

Immediately the military group fell into parade rest, theoretically at 'ease,' but they were anything but at ease.

Daniel, standing behind Jack, looking slightly bored, wishing he was anywhere but at the Air Force Academy suddenly stiffened and looked around. The feeling was faint, but familiar. A pre-immortal was near-by.

A group of cadets were running as a group past the group from the SGC. Daniel quickly scanned the kids and saw a familiar, yet slightly older figure. His blond hair had been cut severely short and he wore uniform PT shorts and t-shirt of blue and white stained with sweat.

Scott Waters apparently had reached his goal of entering the Air Force Academy and he was still a pre-immortal. Thankfully his first death hadn't occurred since they had last seen him.

Sam and Teal'c were looking over at him strangely, noticing the change in posture and demeanor. Daniel responded with a slight shake of his head and mouthed the word 'later' at them.

Jack, oblivious to what was taking place, behind him started with his welcome to the first phase of the SGC. What the new recruits would have to first pass is a basic PT test.

"The SGC requires you to score at least sixty percent in push-ups, sit-ups, and a two mile run," Jack rattled off, looking grouchy. He hadn't had his coffee yet and he hated training new recruits. "Any questions?"

"What if we don't make sixty percent?" one recruit asked hesitantly.

Jack gave the person, a lieutenant from the Air Force, a grimace, silently threatening to kill the kid if he failed and disgraced the branch in front of the others. "Then you will go back to your original assignments and enjoy the rest of you careers. We finished? Good," O'Neill barked.

The group paired off and started with the push-up part of the test. Jack was in charge of keeping time, while Sam and Teal'c were in charge of making sure that no one was shorting the push-ups and Daniel was given the job of recording everyone's scores.

Daniel spent the next hour dutifully writing down everyone's scores, pleased to note that all of the civilians had made at least sixty percent in all areas. _Score one for the civilians_, Daniel thought happily.

One of the Air Force officers missed his two mile run score by only six seconds. Daniel honestly felt bad for the guy as he wrote down the time and circled the score.

"Did you write down seventeen minutes?" Captain Sansone asked breathlessly crossing the track to speak to Daniel.

Daniel looked up at him with mild annoyance. "No," he said slowly as if explaining things to a small child. "The Colonel called out seventeen, oh-six and that is what I wrote down."

"He said seventeen minutes. You must have heard him wrong," Sansone growled.

"I doubt it," Daniel said mildly.

"Then you must be deaf along with being blind," Sansone snarled, poking Daniel in the chest, pissed that a civilian was getting in his way of becoming a part of this elite program.

"Excuse me?"

"You either get it right or I swear by all I will make your life a living hell," the demented captain spit out the words, but was careful enough to make sure that the others didn't hear his words.

Daniel let a half smile curl his lips. "As having been, literally, to hell and back, I doubt you could do that."

"You talk big for a civilian whose great protectors are here to cover your sorry ass," Sansone said, not liking Daniel's contemptuous tone. "I doubt you'd be so brave alone without the big guy and the Colonel near-by. I bet you even hide behind the Major."

"Okay, now you are getting out of hand. I would suggest that you go walk off your anger and then talk to the Colonel about maybe letting you take the run again. Six seconds isn't that far off from the required score," Daniel suggested mildly.

"Hell no! I got seventeen minutes and that's what you're going to write down," he demanded, poking Daniel once again.

That was it. He hadn't had his coffee either and this was pissing him off. In a flash, Danil dropped his clipboard and had Sansone on the ground in an immobilizing arm-bar. "I will not be bullied by you or anyone. You try this shit with me or anyone else and I will break your arm in at least three different areas and smile while doing it."

Next thing Danil knew was three pairs of arms were pulling him violently off of Captain Sansone, preventing him from inflicting anymore violence on the man.

"Danny, stop it!"

"Daniel, please calm down."

"DanielJackson, you must desist from your attempts to injure this man," Teal'c rumbled baritone cut through the air.

"I want him brought up on charges!" Sansone yelled, rubbing his arm, wincing in pain.

"What in the hell went on here? Daniel, why did you feel the need to go after the Captain here?" O'Neill asked, looking cross. "Can we let go and trust you to behave yourself?"

"Yes," Danil snarled, then suddenly caught himself, letting his more rational side take over. The cadets, much less the new recruits, did not need to see how bad his temper could get.

"Not to repeat myself, but to repeat myself never-the-less, what in the hell went on here?" Jack asked, staring hard at his friend.

"He attacked me for no reason," Sansone protested loudly.

Daniel looked the mortal over, sizing him up, seeing him for the little man he really was. "Captain Sansone was six seconds off on his run. He wanted me to put his run down as seventeen minutes, rather than seventeen, oh-six. Sansone then started to poke me and told me what I was going to do."

"Is that true Captain?" Jack glared at the man.

"Of course not! How could you believe the word of a civilian over mine?" the idiot babbled, clearly not understanding who had just threatened to break his arm.

Jack gave the captain a vicious glare. "Let me introduce to you Dr. Daniel Jackson," Jack growled, mindful that he was in a public area. "He has been with this program since the gate was first opened. In fact he was the one that opened it for us. He has been a member of SG-1 since it was first formed and is the head of three different departments within the SGC. He has seen more combat than you ever will, not to mention that he is my teammate, so yes, I am going to take his word over yours any day of the week.

"You on the other hand are pissing me off. You are to return to your quarters at Peterson and remain there until summoned. Do I make myself clear? Good! Now get out of here. Oh and by the way Sansone, since Dr. Jackson has been a member of a combat team for several years now, do you not think he's picked up a few things on how to defend himself? Actually, you're lucky he only hurt your arm. He hasn't had his coffee yet and he's been known to kill people that piss him off before his first jolt of caffeine," Jack threw back at the officer. "Now get out of my face!"

Sansone, pissed, but knowing that now was not the time to protest his innocence, grabbed his gear, stomped out of the gymnasium, and slammed the metal doors behind him, furious that he had been treated that manner.

O'Neill turned to the group of fresh meat, military and civilians alike. "Let me make this perfectly clear to everyone. While the SGC is a military instillation, there are a number of civilians that work there and they will be treated with the same amount of courtesy and respect that you would treat fellow NCO or officer. I will warn you that several of the civilians are well trained in weapons, tactics, and defense. All of them have very high IQs and are imaginative in acts of revenge. And civilians do not think you can hide behind the excuse of _but I'm a civilian_. That only works so much and for so long before the higher ups get pissed off," Jack forced himself to not glare at Daniel with that last bit.

"Get yourselves cleaned up and report to the SCG by 1000 hours. Make sure you have your id badges with you. Dismissed," the Colonel barked, causing everyone to scurry away like scared kittens looking for mama.

Once everyone had gone, Jack turned on Daniel. "I am not saying that I don't believe you about Sansone, but what in the hell was up with that reaction?"

Daniel looked at the toes of his boots, head-down, and his face bright red as he mumbled something.

"What was that? I don't think I heard you," Jack snarked.

Daniel sighed and looked up. "He started poking me and I hate being poked, especially by assholes that think just because I'm a civilian I can be treated like crap. Hell, every civilian on base has had someone try to push them around at some point and there was no way in hell I was going to let him start with me. Next thing you know, he'd try something like that with Dr. Lee or sweet Dr. Lori Godfried and then we'd have an all-out war on our hands, especially if Lori ends up crying. I remember what happened when that one Marine asshole made her cry in the cafeteria. That idiot ended up duct taped to the back wall of the main elevator, pants-less, with a sign taped to him saying he was a suspected Goa'uld System Lord on the day General Shermann came for a surprise inspection. I though Hammond was going to have a coronary over that one."

Jack couldn't help the snort of amusement that escaped his lip. "It was weird how we never found out who was responsible for that."

Daniel did his best to not look at Teal'c.

"But still Danny, don't you think its best that people not suspect that you know more than just what we teach people at the SGC?"

Daniel rolled his eyes at that. "I just tell them that you and Teal'c are just really good teachers," he said, and then quickly added, "which you are. Everyone buys it. With your background and Teal'c being a former First Prime, it makes perfect sense that I would know a bit more than what is taught in our classes."

"Thanks," Jack said, not entirely sure he hadn't been insulted. "I just think you need to be careful Daniel. That's all."

"Jack I have not survived all of the years by being stupid. I know how to keep my identity intact," Daniel said, sighing.

"Well let me tell you Clark Kent, the nerdy glasses aren't working very well. Pretty soon someone is going to see beyond the geek personae and then not even your Fortress of Solitude is going to protect you," Jack said, sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

"Dr. Jackson? Sir! Ma'am! Murray?" a quiet voice said from behind the Colonel.

Jack whipped around and came face-to-face with a nervous cadet. "Yeees?" Jack drawled out his question, clearly not knowing who the kid was, worried that the kid might have learned something that he shouldn't have.

"Colonel O'Neill, this is Scott Waters. We met him and his family up in South Dakota," Daniel made the introductions.

"Oh," he said, and then realization fully dawned upon him. "Oh! So it's Cadet Waters now. Congratulations on making it into the academy."

"Thank you sir," Cadet Waters said. "I was surprised to see you come in, especially Dr. Jackson. I didn't think you were military," he said, noting that there wasn't any rank on his uniform, along with the missing patches on everyone's uniform.

"I'm a civilian contracted to work with the military," Daniel explained.

Scott smiled, his blue eyes sincere and innocent, well innocent as any eighteen year old boy's eyes can get. "I didn't mean to intrude sir. I just wanted to say hi and thank the Major for all of her advice."

Sam smiled at the kid. "I'm glad it helped Cadet. Good luck here."

"Thank you for your help ma'am. I need to get back," Scott said, indicating the group he had been running with. He came to attention, waiting for the colonel to dismiss him.

"Dismissed Cadet," Jack said, eyeing him carefully then looking over at Daniel with a caustic look.

With that the kid ran off to rejoin his group and the members of SG-1 also moved on, leaving the Cadet House, heading back to their cars.

Once they were out over everyone's hearing range Sam brought up a question that had been bothering her. "Daniel, why did you suddenly act like there was an immortal near-by in the gym? Was there another one of your people there?"

Jack snorted, while Teal'c looked inquisitive.

"Kind of," Daniel admitted. "Scott's a pre-immortal. I could sense him."

"Did you know about his status while we were on our retreat to the state of South Dakota?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes. I could tell the first time I saw him when I saw him at Devil's Tower. He's clearly a pre-immortal," Daniel explained.

"But shouldn't he be told about this? How fair is it to not tell him, let him think that everything is okay. Maybe him knowing about him being Immortal will keep him from taking stupid chances and let him lead a normal life," Sam argued.

Daniel shook his head. "It's tradition that we do not tell pre-immortals about their status. If we did, it could lead them to doing stupid stuff, knowing that even though they could ram their cars into a concrete embankment at a hundred miles an hour, eventually they would walk away. Not only that, they could end up taking innocent people with them, not to mention exposing our secrets to the world at large. Plus, they need to live their lives as normally as possible for as long as possible since once they die, their lives will never be normal for as long as their heads stay attached to their bodies."

"But still," Sam started to argue.

"No, he is not to know and don't you dare tell him Sam," Daniel said staring at her intensely. "Do I have your word that you'll stay out of it?" he asked, knowing that if Sam gave her word, she meant it.

"Fine," she sighed, not liking it, but possibly seeing Daniel's reasoning behind his demand. "I won't tell him."

"Thank you. Now I will see you all back at the SGC. I have to go pay homage to the gods of coffee at the altar of the Almighty Starbucks before I can face going back to the base," he said and climbed into his car, a new 2003 Ford Escape and started up the engine.

"There are times Daniel worries me more than the Goa'uld are up to," Sam commented to the Colonel and Teal'c.

"He leads a difficult life MajorCarter. He fights two wars that people are not aware of, not to mention that he has had to readjust to being among living beings after a year of his Ascension. He has had to create a new life for himself in familiar surroundings, all the while not knowing what happened to him while ascended. DanielJackson has many issues that he struggles with on a daily basis, most of which I would be hard pressed to wish upon even my worst enemy," Teal'c declared, watching his friend drive away.

"That was pretty deep T," Jack commented.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the review button and let me know what you think.

Danny-boy still has some issues. Granted he isn't insane/psychotic Danil, but his nastier side hasn't been totally eradicated. There is a struggle within Daniel, trying to put his life back together, coming to terms with the fact that he is back in the game, working for the SGC, and still doesn't know exactly why he was kicked out of the Glow Club. It's left him a bit angry. Plus he hadn't had his coffee yet, which Daniel without coffee is never a good thing. Plus, you all know how I like to do angry and pissed-off scenes. It's cheap therapy for me.

I wanted to bring Scott back in from the first story somehow, but not make him central to the story. Finally, if you know who you are, the crying scientist is a belated Christmas present for you. So, feel free to leave a review, least I think you don't care and I start to cry or go on strike. Odd thought of the day: Wouldn't it be a scary day if all fan fiction writers went on strike one day?


	15. Chapter 14

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and **sexual references** (you've been warned)

* * *

After the memorable events that took place behind the electronics store from hell and at the Air Force Academy, life fell into an easy pattern for the members of SG1. They forced themselves to get out of bed, go to work, dealt with the new recruits (i.e.: ran them nearly into the ground to see if they were up to snuff) they had been saddled with, and some how managed to crawl back into their beds at the end of the day. 

As a reward for all of their hard work as training instructors (beyond the personal sense of satisfaction that came from shooting the recruits with Intars) was the trip to PX3-198.

There on this lovely world, with green grass and trees, a blue sky, and friendly people of normal hues, they encountered a society that they really hadn't ever seen before.

Sure, they could easily tell that these people's ancestors had probably been transplanted by to Goa'uld. Their clothing, language, and homes indicated that they came from early Roman or ancient Italy – pre-Roman empire. It wasn't the land of Janus, the world where the men of SG-1 and 6 had been forced to fight in gladiatorial combat, but there was a bit of similarity.

That said there was a BIG difference between Janus' world and this one.

They looked horribly out of place in their drab green BDUs, surrounded by people in flowing robes and gowns that came in a rainbow of hues. The team had weary looks on their faces while the locals had big stupid grins plastered across their faces.

"Actually," Jack half-whispered as they strode through the town, "I think I kind of miss old January."

Normally this kind of comment would have earned him a dirty look or a few scorching remarks from the team, but this time, everyone was nodding in agreement.

"I know I am going to regret it later, but I think I actually agree with you," Daniel whispered back.

The members of SG-1 found themselves in a town on a world dedicated to the god Priapus.

Priapus was the ancient Italian god of fertility, farming, and sexual healing – the Marvin Gaye of his time. There were statues of him everywhere, showing his enormous genitals. No matter where they turned, where they looked, there were genitals staring at them. It was like being in a fun house hall of mirrors, only it wasn't fun and very obscene.

The icing on the cake of the whole situation was the giant Priapus statue in the middle of the town square.

Sam noted out loud how she was getting a low level energy reading coming from the statue.

Jack nearly had to slap a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from saying something that would result in either an ass-kicking or a sexual harassment lawsuit, or both, from Carter.

"The statue lights up at night," Livius, the town elder who had met the members of SG-1 at the Stargate and was now escorting them through the town, said. His voice was quite peppy, indicating how happy he was to show off his beloved statue.

"It lights up?" Daniel croaked, doing his best to not really look at certain parts of the monument.

"Oh yes," Livius said enthusiastically. "That way we can see Priapus and all of his glory without fail. Even in the darkest of nights, with storms bearing down on us, Priapus guides us and protects us."

"Of course it would light up," Daniel said drily.

I believe even someone with failed eyesight could see this sculpture," Teal'c said dryly. He too did not want to see what was before him. However, he managed to say it with a completely straight face, while the others were turning shades of red (Sam and Daniel) while Jack was shaking with barely repressed laughter.

"So," Jack began, looking everywhere but at the statue, "is there any chance Platypus will be coming back here for a visit anytime soon?"

At this Livius looked a bit sad. "Alas no, Priapus was slain by Baal in a fit of jealousy, according to our legends. Luckily though, his spirit lives on, continuously blessing us with ample crops and children."

_There were plenty of children in the village_, Jack noted silently. _Lucky bastards_.

"Yes, Baal is a jealous jackass and it's easy to see why good old snakehead would be envious of Playdoh," Jack muttered, not even bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice.

Daniel heard Jack's tone and knew from the reports that he had read that Jack had been held captive by the Goa'uld System Lord and tortured. What he did not know, what was not reported, that he had shown himself to Jack and had offered the man Ascension. It was something that was left out of the official reports and he hadn't remembered what had taken place while among the glow-club.

"I know," Livius continued unaware of the anger that hearing the name Baal caused the group. "Many gods were jealous of Priapus and his enormous pen," he said but was interrupted by Jack.

"We see! God how I wish we didn't," Jack yelled. "Daniel, do you see anything besides the obvious?"

"There's no writing on the base of the statue and nothing on the face, Daniel said.

"But there is writing," Livius said, pointing.

"I know. I just don't want to look," Daniel said hurriedly, squeezing his eyes shut as he hit him-self in the forehead with the heal of his hand; the other arm was wrapped around his middle in a self-half hug.

"Why would you not want to behold the beauty that is Priapus?" Livius asked, clearly not understanding these odd aliens.

"Because, I like many men of our world, do not enjoy looking at another man, even a statue of one, in that way," Daniel said through clenched teeth. "Though there are some that do and there is nothing wrong with that," he swiftly added, not wanting to be un-PC about it.

"There is just a lot to look at and it's a bit uncomfortable," Jack added, trying not to snort with laughter. As horrible as the situation was, it was hysterically funny to see everyone's, especially Daniel's reaction, to the land of Pringles.

Daniel in the meantime was quietly praying that somehow he would blow an artery in his head and would die. _But then the last thing I would see would be that_, he silently reasoned, creeped out beyond belief. _I can't handle this. I've seen a lot in my years, but this is unbelievable. Hell, I remember the ancient Olympics and I was less uncomfortable. I am surrounded by penises! Is this another punishment set for me by the Ancients? Wasn't erasing my memory enough?_

"Daniel, what does the writing say?" Sam suddenly asked, her face bright red.

"I don't know," Daniel said testily.

"Yes you do," Sam countered.

"I'm sure I do, but I'd have to actually look at it and probably touch it and _that's_ not going to happen," Daniel shot back. "I am not touching a marble penis."

"Actually, it's granite," Sam said.

"Marble, granite, I don't care. It could be made out of goddamn cookie dough and I am still not touching it," Daniel yelled. "You touch it! You know I am awfully tired of always having to be the one to take one for the team. You guys do the dirty work for one. I am sick to death of being the whipping boy for SG-1!"

"Actually, according to the legend you're to read the words out-loud and then rub the end of it and knowledge will be bestowed upon you," Livius interrupted Daniel's rant.

"It's an encyclopedic John Holmes," Jack snarked.

"That's it," Daniel said, turning away from the statue. "I'm done. Screw you guys, I'm going home."

"I have an idea O'Neill," Teal'c suddenly said. There was a slight twinkle of mischief glinting in his eyes.

"Let's hear it," O'Neill said, finally giving up the ghost of remaining straight-faced and laughed out-loud, unable to hold it in any longer. He knew that look on the Big Guy's face and if anyone could get them out of this mess it would be Teal'c.

"Dr. Pierson's team I am sure would be more than happy to examine the statue of Priapus," Teal'c suggested. "I have promised revenge upon him for giving me those horrible wasabi peas and not warning me ahead of time."

"Excellent," Jack said, tapping his fingers together, ala Montgomery Burns.

Sam rolled her eyes while Daniel got an evil look in his eyes.

"Danny, take a picture of the top of the statue and the base, but leave out the middle," Jack snickered.

"Gladly," Daniel said and took a couple of circumspect shots of the granite edifice.

"Livius," Jack beckoned the old man over. "We are really interested in this magnum-sized statue of Papaya here, but we have some friends that are actually experts in this sort of thing and they would love to have a look at it. If it is okay, we're going to go home and send them back here." Jack paused, then continued, "Tell them if you would, we were judged to be unworthy of touching the statue and only SG-12, the other group can read and rub."

"I don't understand," Livius said, clearly not understanding why these explorers would not want to touch the statue. To do such a thing was about as close to actually touching a god as one could possibly get and these off-worlders were refusing to do so. It perplexed him.

"I know you don't," Jack said soothingly. "But it would really help us out. We have some odd customs among our own people and the other team is better suited for this task than we ever could be. We are not worthy to touch the statue anyway," Jack lied through his teeth.

"I still do not understand, but very well. I will do as you say. You are a nice group of people, but so _strange_," said the little old man with a puzzled look on his face.

"Carter, before we go collect some soil and water samples. Maybe Piñata put something in the system to make them have so many children," Jack said.

"A possible natural source of Viagra," Daniel smirked. "Worried about that are you Jack?"

It was a good thing that Jack could not shoot laser beams out of his eyes like Superman or Daniel would have been burnt to a crisp on the spot.

"Maybe they're just horny," Sam muttered, getting out her sample kit.

"Major?" Jack asked, not quite sure she had said what he thought she had said.

"Sounds like a plan sir," she said, slapping a fake smile across her face.

Sam took her samples and soon afterward, the team headed back to the gate.

"How are we going to convince General Hammond to send SG-12 back to this planet? Sam asked.

Jack shrugged. "We'll tell Hammond that we were judged unclean and that we couldn't touch the statue and that there was writing on it that Daniel didn't recognize but thought Adam might. It will work as long as no one caves," he said, glaring at the team.

"Sir, just in case I have to prepare a defense in a court martial, may I claim that I was abducted by the Goa'uld and forced to participate in this idea?"

"No!" Jack barked, glaring at his second-in-command, though there was no real malice in his look. "Besides, it's not like anyone from Adam's team is going to say anything. It's not like he's going to let them ever repeat what he had to do to get the information."

"True Jack, but just remember that this is Methos we are talking about. The man does have a nasty side to him that is worse than mine. Be prepared for acts of revenge," Daniel cautioned the colonel.

Jack glared at the archeologist. "Are you quitting on me? What happened to the hard-core Immortal that we all know and love?"

"I'm just warning you, that's all. No, I consider this payback for all of the times he has stabbed me, so I have no problem with it," Daniel shrugged as he quickly dialed up the coordinates for Earth.

Sam sent the signal through the wormhole, telling the SGC that it was them coming through and that they would appreciate it kindly if they weren't squashed like a bug on the gate iris.

They made it back to the SGC and explained to Hammond that SG-12 needed to go back to PX3-198. Thankfully, Hammond didn't make an issue of it and called for the members of SG-12 to come to the briefing room.

Daniel quickly downloaded the pictures he had taken from his camera on to the briefing room's computer. He made a hasty explanation about how the writing looked familiar, but he didn't know what it was and how he was sure that Dr. Pierson would know what it was. Daniel also said that he was not sure what the god's name was, since the locals would not tell it to him; they said that it was sacred and could only be told to those that were deemed to be clean. He knew that if he had told Methos that the god was actually Priapus, the jig would be instantly up. Instead, Daniel blamed his lack of knowledge on a hole in his memory. Those darn Ancients and their memory-altering ways!

Methos look hard at his old friend, looking for a sign that something was going on. He knew that Danil's memory was pretty much back intact, except for the time he was among the Ascended. Instinctively he knew Danil was lying, but could not point to any bit of evidence that would give proof to his suspicions. _Damn that little weasel and his little friends_, Methos thought savagely.

"SG-12, you have a go. Get your gear together and report to the Gateroom in thirty minutes. Dismissed," Hammond announced.

The members of the other team stood and left, leaving the general and SG-1 behind.

"Are you four up to something?" Hammond asked the team.

Jack, obviously replying on his years spent in black ops, spoke up. "No sir," his voice cracked slightly. Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c glared at their esteemed leader with ill-concealed venom.

"I had better not hear about it," Hammond warned them and stood up, Jack and Sam also following suit.

"Sir if it is okay with you, considering the time. We're going to sign out now. It's late," Jack announced. "There's a hockey game on tonight that is calling my name."

"And I promised Jack and Teal'c that we'd watch it over at my house," Daniel piped up.

"Since when have you liked hockey Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked, giving the group a dark look.

Daniel looked sideways at Jack. "Jack told me that hockey is my favorite sport sir."

Hammond snorted at that.

"I'm going to go find Janet for a night of getting our nails done and watching lots of Lifetime," Sam added, wanting to be anywhere but around the guys for awhile. Hopefully they were showing The Burning Bed again.

"Fine, see you people in the morning," Hammond growled. He knew instinctively knew something was up. However, he knew and trusted the members of SG-1 enough to know that they would never deliberately put another team in harm's way. This had to be something disturbing and weird, he decided, not dangerous.

SG-1 then left the briefing room as quickly as possible. They knew instinctively, that despite their tough talk back on the planet, they could and would easily crack underneath Hammond's intense stare. So in order to avoid admitting to their plans, they ran for the hills.

The guys gave Sam first dibs on the locker room. She was in and out quickly, happy to leave the day's events behind.

The guys then took over the locker room, cleaning up and changing into their civilian clothes. As he was tying his worn boots, Jack suddenly had a flash of belated inspiration.

"You know, we really should have grabbed Francis and bribed him to take a picture or video tape Adam's reaction to the statue," Jack thought out loud.

Daniel was busy shrugging into a light blue button down shirt and paused in his actions to stare at his friend. "Are you out of your mind?"

"What?"

"This is Adam we are talking about. He's going to be pissed enough that he's going to have to touch the damn thing, but he would absolutely lose it if there was permanent evidence of it. Have you forgotten who he was, once upon a time? He gets even pissier than I do and is a master at revenge. While I do think setting him up for this is funnier than all hell, I don't want to push him too far. I once told some woman he was hitting on that he had a preference for women, feces, and sheep at the same time. I found myself the next day hung over and up on an auction block and sold into slavery. I ended up sold to a brothel and I had to kill myself to avoid being sold off to weary travelers in a no-tell motel on some god-forsaken dirt road in a remote corner of the Roman Empire," Daniel hissed, careful to not shout, least the wrong person over hear this decidedly odd conversation.

"Fine," Jack huffed, but seriously disturbed at the thought of Daniel being sold as a sex slave.

Finally they were all ready to go and as a team, minus Sam who had booked it in a hurry (Jack privately wondered if girls actually did suffer from penis envy and that was why Sam had run off so quickly), headed out. They stopped at the grocery store for sandwiches, juice, and beer, knowing that Daniel's kitchen was not adequately prepared to serve hungry guests.

The evening proved to be quite enlightening.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know. 

This chapter came about when I realized that I needed a way to get the guys together for some male bonding over at Daniel's and as I was thumbing through my Mythology for Dummies book and came across Priapus. According the book Priapus was an ancient Italian god of fertility, farming, and sex. Also, according to the book, his statues loved to show off his ridiculously enormous goods and there were plentiful statues (guarding gardens, crops, front yards, etc.). Another book and in a couple of websites said that Priapus was a minor god in both the Greek and Roman pantheons. Whatever. Priapus served to amuse my perverted little mind and also served as a way to get the guys together for some bonding over beer, hockey, and a trip down memory lane. I hope I didn't offend or scandalize too many people in the process. I did warn you after all in the beginning.

Thank you for reading my stuff, putting me or the story on a list, or dropping me a review. It is all appreciated.


	16. Chapter 15

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

The guys were scattered on Daniel's living room furniture. It was nice furniture – thanks to Sam's ability to spend money and Janet's common sense. His sofa, love seat, and chair were a dark brown, made out of soft leather. The coffee table was low, made out of a rich oak. The top of the table was covered in back issues of Archaeology and National Geographic. Earlier, Jack looked at the states and noted that almost all of them were dated from the year Daniel had been "dead."

Daniel noticed Jack looking at the magazines' dates. "I wanted to catch up and see what was being "_discovered_" while I was gone and how right their assumptions are," he said, shrugging, using air quotes to emphasize his words.

There was only two minutes left to the third period and the Avalanche was being killed by the Canucks and Jack was cussing up a storm. Clearly sailors had nothing on airmen in the cussing department, if one went by the filth that was pouring out of Jack's mouth.

Soon it was over. The Avalanche lost five to one and Jack was busy contemplating nuclear holocaust upon the city of Vancouver. "Those goddamn Sedin twins! I think we should have them checked out for Goa'uld infestation. They could be hosts. No one can play like that and be completely human."

"The Canucks won the game fairly O'Neill, though I believe that this is New Jersey's year to win the championship. Complaining about the final score of this game will not affect the already decided upon outcome. You need to accept Colorado's loss with some small amount of dignity," Teal'c said mildly.

"New Jersey!" Jack squawked. "The only reason why New Jersey has been so good is due to a pact that they made with the devil, hence the name. They suck," Jack pouted and stared at his now empty bottle of beer.

Daniel rolled his eyes and handed his friend a full bottle. "You know, I think I should be the one bitching right now. I am fairly confidant in the fact that I did not like hockey before I died. You lied to me," Daniel said, staring accusingly at his friend.

Jack happily accepted the fresh beer from Daniel. "There's more to hockey than just watching the teams score points. It's about the athleticism, grace, and skill displayed. Even you should be able to appreciate that."

"It's also about blood on the ice, fights breaking out, and beer consumption," Daniel said sarcastically. "You watch this sport to satisfy some subconscious desire to watch others inflict harm and pain upon each other. I'm sure Neanderthal man has something to do with modern man's desire to see grown men beat the crap out of each other on skates. It makes me think that evolution _is_ just a theory after all."

"Oh, your dry sarcastic wit really gets me right there," Jack said snidely and picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels. "Besides, with the Neanderthals - been there done that, got the souvenir t-shirts to commemorate the planet."

"Oh gods! That was the planet that turned us into cavemen," Daniel said, horrified at that memory. "I also remember that you tried to beat my face in while in the control room."

Jack winced. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Daniel glared at his friend momentarily before letting it go. He knew that Jack's actions back then hadn't been due to any true feelings of hate, but born out of a primal instinct that was beyond his control. However, it had still hurt when he had his nose fractured in several places. Daniel briefly wondered why no one really noticed at the time how quickly he had healed after the incident.

Eventually he came upon the movie, The Ten Commandments. It was at the point that Moses dramatically parted the Red Sea, allowing the Hebrews to escape to safety, fleeing the pharaoh and his army.

Daniel couldn't help himself and started laughing.

"What is wrong with you? Who in their right mind laughs at The Ten Commandments?" Jack asked, looking at his friend who at this point was gasping for breath between snorting.

"That is such bullshit. Exodus did not happen like that! Granted Charlton Heston makes for a great Moses, but that whole dramatic parting of the seas did not happen like that. Hell, they actually crossed at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba not the Red Sea itself."

Jack and Teal'c both looked at him with ill-concealed curiosity (well, Teal'c's right eyebrow was a bit more raised than normal).

"Are you telling me that you fled Egypt with Moses and the pharaoh hot at your heels?" Jack scoffed.

"No," Daniel snorted. "I was with the pharaoh's army, chasing the Hebrews."

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Dan'yar, as he was known then, had been living among the Egyptians for several years. He had been employed by the pharaoh, Rameses II to serve as a tutor and sword master to his sons.

While spending time in the fertile Nile valley, he had taken an Egyptian wife and had blended into the culture and people with ease, despite his foreign appearance. He had spent time in the area centuries before, so he knew the language and customs, yet adapt to some of the newer additions to Egyptian culture. It was easy to slip back into the personae of being a scholar, though very knowledgeable about how to fight with a sword. It was the role of a teacher that he was able to act out with ease, one that he was sure he would end up repeating over the coming years, as long as his head remained firmly attached to his body and he stayed out of trouble. Unfortunately, trouble had a way of ensnaring him before he even knew it.

In the meantime, he spent his days teaching the sons of the pharaoh about writing, mathematics, languages, and most importantly, how to fight. The land and times were harsh, and it would not do for the sons, especially the one that was in line to take the throne (barring accidents or in-house plots against their lifes), to not know how to fight.

At night, he went home to his wife and home, enjoying being with her, falling asleep in her arms, watching her weave or do other household tasks. It was pleasant and peaceful. Silently, he prayed to his gods of old (not the gods of Egypt) that his life would remain that way for a long time.

Unfortunately, life and the Game had a way of interfering in his plans.

One day, late at night as he was walking through the dark streets of Ra'amses, he came across a young man, Josiah, one of the Hebrews; he was face down in the dirt, dead.

Dan'yar had encountered the young man before, noticing the faint signal he felt that indicated the boy was destined to become an Immortal. Quietly, circumspectly, he kept tabs on the youth, waiting for the moment that Josiah would experience his first death.

Apparently, the young man had tripped and hit his head, if the dried blood that coated his temple and face was any indication. There didn't appear to be any wounds other than the damage to his head.

Sighing, Dan'yar knew that he couldn't just leave the young Immortal in the street, least he revive when there were witnesses or let him go on thinking he had just hurt himself and blindly go about his life. As a result he picked Josiah up and threw his dead body over his shoulder and took him home, an act that he would eventually regret.

Harere, meaning "flower," greeted her husband at the door, quickly dismissing the servants. While she did not know why her beloved husband brought home a stranger that appeared to her to be dead, she knew that her husband was an Immortal, and immediately became suspicious of the possibility that whoever this person was, he had to be an Immortal also. Otherwise, there was no good reason why Dan'yar would bring a dead body into the house other than for that one possibility.

"Dan'yar," Harere softly questioned her beloved, "why have you brought this man into our home?"

"It is Josiah, the one I told you about last season. He is like me and has finally experienced his first death," Dan'yar explained.

"But why must you bring him here? Besides, he is a Hebrew. Isn't there someone among his own people that can help him?"

Dan'yar shook his head, his long blond hair swinging slightly. "I have not sensed anyone else like myself for a long time. As far as I know there is only me to teach him how to survive as an Immortal. I can't let him go and not know about himself and how to defend himself."

"I had a dream last night," Harere declared, not looking happy, her arms folded across her chest. "In my dream, there was much death and sadness across the land and in our home. There was a stranger in my dream, I couldn't see his face, but he was known to me. He brought violence into our lives, destroying all that we have worked to build for us. I look at this Josiah and I fear that he is the unknown stranger."

Dan'yar, not wanting to make light of his wife's fears, pulled her into his arms. "I will not let him harm you. You know that I would bring down upon anyone the wrath of the gods upon anyone that would harm you. Besides, you've been listening to the rumors about the troubles that Moses is threatening the pharaoh with. He is stirring up trouble and is probably the source for your bad dreams. I will always protect you my love."

Harere sighed but relented, allowing her husband to bring the dead man into their home and ignored the gnawing feelings in her stomach. "I will have Sheriti bring you your supper. Come to bed husband when you are done with the boy." With that, she retreated from the front room, retiring to the bedroom she had shared with the man she knew as Dan'yar.

Eventually Josiah revived and Dan'yar spent the better part of the night explaining what he was and what the future held in store for the boy, if he took up his offer to train him.

It took some convincing, Dan'yar slicing his own arm and Josiah's to show him the healing blue lightening to help convince him that neither one of them were insane. Josiah had told him that the last thing he remembered was tripping over something in the road. Clearly the boy had experienced the ultimate anti-climatic first death ever in history. Finally, Dan'yar sent Josiah off to sleep in a spare bedroom while he went off to spend what little time was left in the night with his wife.

Over the next several months when not busy working, Dan'yar spent his time teaching Josiah how to fight as an Immortal. The boy had never picked up a sword in his life, so he was literally starting from scratch. The boy had never even been in a fight before in his life. Josiah had been born into a life that wasn't exactly slavery, though it wasn't the freedom that Dan'yar had. The boy worked as a servant in the household of a member of the pharaoh's family, but it wasn't the back breaking work that many had to endure to help build Ramesses' new and glorious city. He hadn't ever endured laborious treatment before, so Dan'yar's training was an eye opening experience for him.

As difficult as Dan'yar had to make if for his student, Josiah easily became a part of the household. Dan'yar had even gone as far as to "buy" him from his previous employer so that the training would be more consistent and constant. It made for an odd family: Dan'yar, the pale foreigner whose soul was Egyptian, Harere the lovely, yet aging wife, and Josiah of the Hebrews. It was the ultimate non-traditional family.

Dan'yar was a difficult task master. He didn't do it to be cruel, but he had to build the boy up physically from a weak household servant to someone that could hold his own against stronger and more experienced swordsmen. He would have the boy up at dawn, practicing forms and movements, correcting any flaws he could see in Josiah's technique. During the day, he had Josiah help the farm hands tend the crops and livestock (as being on the paid staff of the pharaoh, Dan'yar could afford to support such a household). Slowly, the boy changed from a weakling into a strong young man that had potentially centuries ahead of him.

As time passed, Moses continued to press Ramesses to allow the Hebrew people to leave. Granted it was only about twenty thousand people that would have left, the pharaoh was not pleased with the idea that he would lose a cheap work force before his great cities were finished. Also, if he had let the Hebrews go, it would have sent a signal to other minority groups in his kingdom that they could also leave. Ramesses, like any ruler, knew that outsiders would see this internal strife as a sign of weakness and use the opportunity to attack and destroy all that was good in the land of Egypt, including his hold on the throne.

Finally, Moses told the pharaoh that if the Hebrew people were not allowed to leave, God would visit plagues upon the land and people of Egypt.

Dan'yar, while in attendance, heard Moses proclaim the first plague that would befall Egypt if the people were not freed from bondage.

"By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the rod that is my hands and it shall be turned to blood," the leader of Hebrews proclaimed the words of God to the pharaoh.

The pharaoh and others laughed, not believing the man. Unfortunately for those that lived along the river, the Nile's water soon turned red, killing the fish and making the water unfit for drinking. But still, the pharaoh's heart stayed hardened.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"Wait a freaking minute here! You mean to tell me that you met Moses and saw the Ten Plagues of Egypt?" Jack yelled, astonished, his memory flashing back to nearly forgotten Catholic school religion classes on the Old Testament.

Daniel sighed. "There were plagues Jack, but they happened all the time. If the Hand of God played a role in it, I don't know," he explained.

"So the river ran red with blood, there were locusts, boils, and the first born of every house died?" Jack persisted. "Did it really happen?"

"The Nile was reddish in color, but not from blood. There had been from time to time in the past that a heavy flow of silt flowed down the river. Also, in the more stagnant pools, closer to the Mediterranean, it could have been Red Tide. I just don't know. Scientific enquiry was not something explored at that time. That was a few centuries away. Everything odd that occurred was generally attributed to the actions of a god. As for the rest, it wasn't an odd occurrence for diseases, bad weather, and bugs, to make an appearance. The only thing truly extraordinary about all of it was that they happened one after another," Daniel explained.

What about the Red Sea, being lost in the desert for forty years, and the Ten Commandments?" Jack pressed.

"If you would let me finish the story, you'd know," Daniel said irritably.

"Well, don't get your panties in a twist. Get on with it then," Jack allowed.

Daniel gave his friend a decidedly unfriendly smile. "Thank you _so_ much."

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Dan'yar continued to train and teach Josiah how to live the life of an Immortal. The one thing that bothered Dan'yar was Josiah's inflexibility in his outlook on life.

"I am not saying that you should just go ahead and do whatever, but you have to be able to adapt to new surroundings and people. To survive as an Immortal, you have to blend in," Dan'yar said, his arms folded across his torso, watching the youngster practice a form that he had been taught the previous week. "Grip the pommel a bit tighter," he advised, never taking his eyes off the boy.

"But I am a member of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. That will never change, it is who I am," Josiah replied, tightening his grip.

"Societies change over time and you will have to move on from those that you call family. Look at me," Dan'yar said, gesturing towards him-self. "Obviously I am not Egyptian. I came from a long ways away from here in the direction that the sun rises from. I have lived among different tribes, people, and lands because I must. Many humans instinctively do not trust those that they perceive to be different from them. They will do their best to destroy you once they find out you possess an ability that they do not."

"You're wife knows about you. Many among the Egyptians say that you are a djnn or even one of their gods in disguise," Josiah said, arcing his blade through the air, cutting though an imaginary foe. "Even some of the Hebrew people wonder about you. A few have asked me if you are one of the fallen angels of the Lord. You are an outsider that fits into the culture and can fight with a skill that is beyond even some of the best soldiers in the Pharaoh's army. "

Dan'yar snorted. "My wife knows because I trust her. There will be some that you can trust with your secret, but if your trust is misplaced, they will do their best to kill you. Switch hands now, you need to be able to fight with both hands equally."

"What does it matter if they kill you as long as they don't take your head?" Josiah asked, wiping sweat from his brow as he switched from right to left leads.

Dan'yar brushed his long blond hair back from his face, annoyed at how it tended to flop in his face. "How enjoyable would it be for them to kill you over and over? They kill you, you die and revive and the process repeats itself. It's a good way to discover madness."

Josiah rolled his eyes. In his mind his teacher was always focused upon imagined negatives. "How likely would that actually happen?" he asked sarcastically.

Dan'yar, known before as Danil, went completely still, a dangerous look in his eyes. "What makes you think that hasn't happened to me or that I've done it myself to others?"

Hearing that, Josiah froze. It suddenly dawned upon him that Dan'yar had not always been such a benevolent teacher. The older Immortal must have done things that surely had been condemned by God several times over.

"Believe me Josiah, eventually you will have to leave your people behind and find a new life elsewhere. Make sure that it is done by your choice alone and not by an angry mob," Dan'yar counseled his tone dark and grave.

Soon Daniel released Josiah for the day, respecting that it was sundown and the start of the boy's Sabbath. "Be safe Josiah and I will see you the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you and shalom Dan'yar," Josiah said, tucking his sword in to a belt that he wore around his waist and covered with an outer robe.

Josiah went back to his family's home, preparing for some sort of feast that the boy had spoken of briefly. He wouldn't go into details, but apparently it was for something that Moses has told all of the Hebrews to do.

Dan'yar, shrugging, went off to check on the animals and made sure that the daily tasks were done to his standards.

Later that night, as Dan'yar and Harere lay in their bed, talking softly about each other's day they heard the sound of a multitude of voices cry out at once.

Dressing swiftly, they ran out of their bedroom and were confronted with several of their servants holding the dead bodies of their children, weeping and wailing in a great outpouring of grief.

Soon, the same could be heard in many of the houses throughout the land. The last declaration of Moses came back to everyone. The next day, when it was discovered that Moses' prediction of the death of all first born had come true, the pharaoh, Rameses II, granted the Hebrews their freedom. Ramses wanted the troublemaker Moses and his people gone and was willing to give in if it spared his land and throne further grief.

The Hebrews made quick work of gathering their belongings, but soon discovered that they did not possess all that was required to travel through the desert to their promised land.

That night, as Dan'yar and countless other Egyptians who had survived the night of death slept, the Hebrews raided the homes of the Egyptians taking the supplies that they needed but lacked.

Dan'yar was awoken to the familiar presence of an Immortal near-by, but maintained enough composure to mentally turn off his Quickening signature so as to catch the trespasser off-guard. Assuming that it was Josiah, but unwilling to fully trust his assumptions, crept to his bedroom's door, sword in hand. He saw Josiah, with several other individuals he vaguely recognized, rummaging through their belongings, going through the household's supplies, grabbing blankets, jars, and food. Outside, he could hear someone disturbing the animals, presumably stealing the livestock.

"Josiah! What do you think you are doing?" Dan'yar barked, angry that his student would attempt to steal from him; angry that the boy felt that he had to steal what he would have been given if he had only asked for it.

"Dan'yar!" Josiah turned, clearly not expecting his teacher to be there. The boy hadn't felt the older immortal's presence; therefore he felt that it was safe to lead his friends on a raid of the home.

Instead of freezing, like he would have done months before while being caught red-handed, he lunged, his sword out, aimed at Dan'yar's middle.

Dan'yar, momentarily shocked that his student – _his student_ – would turn on him like that, was rendered immobile, allowing the fledgling to get through his defenses, killing him with a swipe of the sword. As he lay there dying, the last thing he heard was his wife screaming his name in terror before black-nothingness took him.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Minutes, hours, or even days later (the passage of time really didn't matter to one who had the potential to live forever) Dan'yar came back to life with an abrupt gasp for air as his lungs automatically remembered their ability to expand and contract, allowing him to breathe normally. He looked around and saw two of his servants, Adjo and Kifi, kneeling over a familiar form that lay crumpled on the floor. The Immortal's abrupt return to the land of the living startled the two of them, causing them to jump then cower slightly in fear.

"Master," Adjo croaked, grabbing at his chest, the shock clearly shaking him to his soul. He had heard whispering, rumors that an aura of god-like power clung to the foreigner, but before now, he had dismissed such talk as nothing more than the ramblings of the insane. Now that the man with the pale hair and eyes had returned from the dead, thus proving that he did indeed possess the powers granted to Atum-Ra, Osiris, and the Egyptian pantheon. However, it was yet to be determined that if his powers were a blessing or the result of being a servant to a demon.

"Adjo, tell me, where is Harere?" Dan'yar rasped pushing him-self into a sitting position, doing his best to ignore the blood that stained the floor and his finely textured sand-colored kilt.

"Are you a servant of Apep?" Adjo asked as his wife, Kifi, sat huddled next to him.

Dan'yar looked at the old man with a look of annoyance. "I am not a servant of the demon Apep. I do not serve your gods. I am an Immortal, but not a god," he said with contempt. "Where is my wife?"

At that, Adjo looked painfully sorrowful. "I am sorry Master, we heard the screaming, but by the time we were able to reach her, Mistress Harere had died. It was that boy you have been teaching, Josiah. He was about to take your head, but your wife attacked him. He killed her instantly and then ran away." Adjo and Kifi moved away so that Dan'yar could see Harere more clearly.

"I see," Dan'yar said, seething with anger, feeling the guise of Dan'yar melt away, revealing Danil - the blood-thirsty nightmare that had ridden with the Four Horsemen for a time. There was tremendous amounts of guilt that filled his soul. He had lied to her when he had told her that he would take care of her and not let anything happen to her. "Take care of her body. See to it that your customs are observed. If anyone else of this household was also killed, see to it that their remains are taken care of."

"Where are you going Master? What do you want done with the house and the servants?" Kifi asked, ever practical and thoughtful, even in times of distress.

Danil gave the old woman a ghost of a smile that was scarier than it was intended to be. "I am going to find Josiah and see to it that he pays for what he did to Harere. I will make him suffer in ways never imagined."

"Will you be back Master?" Adjo asked, fear and wonder in his eyes.

"Yes, in time, but it may be a long time before I am able to return. The house all that belongs to it is under your care. If you pass before I return, its care will pass along to your descendants," Danil said and took an earring out of his ear and pressed it into the old man's hand.

"Tell your heir that they will know me by the sight of the matching earring. There are several things in this house that are precious to me, but I cannot take with me on my journey. It is yours and your children's, and your children's children responsibility to take care of them," Danil instructed the mortals.

The mortal couple nodded, not fully understanding all that their Master had told them, but trusted him never-the-less. He had been a good man, never treating them badly, respecting them and the other servants with the same sort of level one would give a member of the royal family.

With that, Danil left the room, but not without touching his wife gently, caressing her face and whispered a prayer for her soul in a language neither servant had ever heard him use before.

He went into his bedroom, quickly changed his clothes, ridding him-self of the blood stained kilt and replaced them with a clean tunic and belt wrapped around his waist. In the belt he placed a dagger then tied on the sheath he used to hold his sword. He also pulled on a set of leather bracers that helped to give strength to his wrists and also provided another place to hide a second knife.

Once he was ready, letting the anger and hate he felt towards his former student guide his actions, he slipped out of the room he had shared with his precious wife. He met Adjo by the door, the man's eyes wide with wonderment and a healthy amount of fear.

"Dan'yar, be careful," the old man advised.

Danil smiled a familiarly oily smile that did not inspire confidence but fear. "Do not worry about me old man. Take care of your wife and family. And just so you know, my name is not Dan'yar. It is Danil of the People of Sea."

With that, he left his home behind and joined the army that the pharaoh was quickly mounting.

Rameses' anger was not about the Hebrews leaving, but in which the way they left. They had been given free passage by him personally out of Egypt, allowing them to seek their holy land and several members of the Hebrew community had taken the opportunity to stage raids and attacks upon the Egyptians for supplies necessary to a long journey across the desert. If they had left peacefully as promised by Moses, none of this would have been necessary. Instead, many like the home of Dan'yar and Harere had been attacked and several had been killed in the process. As pharaoh, he could not let this pass.

Danil joined the army, serving as one of the top officers, leading the men across the desert, hot on the heels of the escaping Hebrews. He cut his hair short, not wanting its long tresses to get in his way, obscuring his vision. He had his weapons with him, a small amount of food that he kept in a sack tied to his back, and his sandals tied securely to his feet. Unfortunately, it did take the pharaoh three days to raise the army necessary to chase the escaping people, giving the Hebrews a decent head start on the Egyptians.

The army followed the fleeing people, nearly twenty thousand of them. They only stopped when the animals and men could not go any further without a rest. The men were marched at a fast pace, crossing branches of the Nile River, skirting lakes that would one day be obliterated by the construction of the Suez Canal. The Israelis reached the Gulf of Suez in about seven days, but did not cross it. Instead they skirted around it, headed slightly southeast from there and eventually reached the head of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Danil, by this time was all but consumed with the desire for revenge, wanting nothing more than to kill Josiah and take his Quickening. At this point, he could have cared less if any of the mortals he was with, even the pharaoh himself, witnessed a Quickening. There was a scary, dark look in his eyes that many found to be disturbing. Most people if they did not have to answer to him avoided him at all costs, for he was quick to anger and quick to exact punishment for failure. An aura of evil clung to him like a living, pulsing entity, giving him the look of a most dangerous foe. Several among the Egyptians had said woe to whoever would encounter him in battle, for the man they had known as Dan'yar was not the one that now led them across the desert. One could tell that this man was a killer, lethal and bloodthirsty, maybe even on the level of the fabled Horsemen.

At the Gulf of Aqaba, the site where several wadis drained in to the Gulf which would then eventually drain into the Red Sea, the Egyptians had just about caught up to the Hebrews. The water had pulled back, allowing the Hebrews to cross more quickly, allowing them to reach the opposite shore than if they had skirted around the shore.

The Egyptians, seeing the Hebrew crossing across the now waterless land, sent the foot soldiers follow the escapees, while the chariots were sent around the Gulf's coast, unable to navigate the mud and treacherous terrain of the now empty seabed. Rameses went with the chariots, trusting his generals and captains to keep order.

Danil, one of many on foot, proceeded to follow on foot, crossing the area where water once stood.

Someone suddenly cried out in terror, drawing everyone's attention to the right. What they saw terrified everyone. A wall of water was rushing at them, dozens of spans high, full of destructive energy bearing down on them, ready to destroy all in its path.

The water hit them with immense power, rushing over them, causing them to rumble and be tossed about. Debris: rocks, weeds, weapons, other bodies hitting them, making it worse. The wave pushed them further inland, killing everyone in its path. If they didn't die by drowning, they were bludgeoned to death by objects being flung about by the giant tsunami that was destroying everything. All of Danil's hopes of killing the traitorous Josiah were shattered as he took in a mouthful of water into his lungs and was hit over the head by a huge-ass fucking rock.

Which one actually killed him didn't matter. He died and revived, and died again over and over until the water finally receded, leaving him face down in the mud, among dead humans, fish, and other things not easily identified.

He came back to life abruptly and immediately sensed another Immortal in the near vicinity. Danil hoped that somehow it was Josiah. He didn't have a sword on him, hell he was naked actually (apparently the power of the water actually ripped the clothing off his body). It didn't matter, if need be he'd fight the bastard with a rock and saw head from his body using the bones of a fish.

Danil looked all around him, taking in the destruction, looking for the source of his disturbance. He saw not far off, four figures on horseback.

"Danil, you look like shit," the leader, riding a pale horse, called out. He was wearing robes and had a half mask made to look like a skull in his hand. His companions looked mean and vicious, the perfect cohort of Death.

"Methos, what a wonderful thing you are to see," Danil snarled. "What the fuck are you doing here? Ran out of villages to rape, burn, and pillage?"

Methos shrugged, not really upset over Danil's hostility. "We heard that the Egyptians were pretty pissed and were chasing after the Hebrews through the desert and that the sea turned on the Egyptian army. Kronos figured that there would be some choice targets that would be left unguarded because of that, not to mention there might be something of value here among the wreckage. As luck would have it, we found you in with the trash. Do you have any plans in the near future, besides finding some clothing, because damn you're naked?"

"May you fall into a pit full of crocodiles and die an agonizing death for hundreds of years. I hope you piss off a hippo," Danil snidely said. "I need to find that traitorous little bastard that killed my wife. I took him in as a student and the son of a whore killed her when she tried to stop him from taking my head as he was stealing from my home."

Kronos smiled an oily, evil smile. "The Hebrews are long gone. They are wandering around the desert, lost and praying to their god for protection. Most-likely they'll end up dying a horrible death, never reaching their promised land. They have nothing worth stealing; otherwise we would be raining down on them."

"Nice to know that the Horsemen have standards," Danil said, slowly standing up on shaky legs.

Methos tossed a cloak to his friend, who deftly caught it. "Put something on. I think I would rather watch Caspian eat someone than see your naked body glaring in the sun. You'll eventually catch up with your former student. It's a pain in the ass when one turns on you, but it happens," the already old Immortal advised. "In the meantime, are you up for some fun?" Methos' grin was pure wickedness, appealing to Danil's bloodthirsty mentality. Death knew his old friend wanted to satisfy his old urges of bring down death and destruction upon others to bring pleasure to his mind.

Danil grinned back, feeling the twitch, the urge to bring back the old days when he rode with the Horsemen as Hades. It had been a long time since he had done anything purely for himself. The need to purge himself of sweet, kind Dan'yar was deliciously tantalizing. He wanted to smell people's fear when he rode into town, following Death. He wanted people to know that the caretaker of the dead was coming for them and there was nothing they could do about it.

The Immortal, known as Danil pulled a usable sword out of the mud, and allowed himself to be pulled on to the horse that Methos rode.

They retraced the path of the Egyptian army and returned to Danil's home. Danil did make it perfectly clear that the people that lived in the area, especially ones that lived in his home were not to be harmed. Even the cannibal agreed to leave the people, even the pretty ones, alone.

Danil restocked himself with weapons and his own clothing. He gave his servants the same instructions that they were to take care of the house and all of its possessions. He also made it clear that they were not to follow him in any way, for he knew that they were in fact his Watchers.

Once he and the Four Horsemen were rested, the five companions rode off together, spreading the seeds of chaos and destruction where ever they went.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"You were Hades, the god of the Underworld? Isn't he a Goa'uld?" Jack asked, disbelief written across his face.

Daniel smiled sadly. "No, I wasn't the false god Hades and yes he was a Goa'uld – Sg-16 apparently killed him last year. The report was such a downer," he said sarcastically. "I just adopted the image. What was more fearsome: Danil the royally pissed off Immortal or being known as Hades, the lord of the Underworld? People feared the thought of meeting Hades early, so I played off that."

Teal'c even looked a bit uneasy. "How long were you with Methos and his friends?"

The Immortal shrugged. "Several years, but eventually, I calmed down and went my separate way. I went back to my old home, being cared for by the grandchildren of Adjo and Kifi. They knew who I was and I was allowed to reclaim my belongings. To this day the family of my former servants all Watchers actually, secretly guard my more prized possessions and by doing so, they are able to keep the head of the Watchers out of my private stuff. You guys think I'm a pack rat now, you should see my storage area in the home in Egypt."

"You still own the home you owned in 1274 BC?" Jack asked.

Daniel snorted in derision. "No. A huge apartment building sits on top of the site now. My stuff is now in a home on the outskirts of Cairo. If we ever get a break, I'll have to take you guys there sometime," he offered.

Jack sat back in his chair, contemplating his beer. "Danny, your past is something that I don't think I would wish even on Kinsey, speaking of whom, we have to go to Washington in a few weeks and put up with him and the budget committee. General Hammond wants you to come along. He thinks with you there, it might impress enough members of the committee to stop being so damn stingy with the money."

"Oh lucky me, I get to be a part of the SGC's yearly dog and pony show in Washington. That's just lovely. Anyway, my past isn't the best, but it is my past and the key word here is _past_," Daniel admitted. "But I would like to think that, except for the mishap in South Dakota, I've moved on from how I used to be. Yes, I have a bad temper, but I hope that I am not the homicidal wreck I was back then."

"What will happen if you return to that way?" Teal'c asked calmly, analyzing his friend in his quiet, yet fully perceptive way.

"If I do, then hopefully someone will be kind enough to take my head or dump me on some holy ground and leave me there until I calm down. I don't feel deep down like I used to when the urge to go on a killing rampage was insanely compelling and strong. Things are different now. When you guys first met me, I really didn't like killing people. I was tired of it," he explained.

"And now?" Jack pressed.

"I don't revel in it like I did when I rode with the Horsemen or in my wacko period after Alexander, but I now recognize that sometimes it is necessary," Daniel said quietly. "I would love to be able to find a peaceful way of solving our problems, but reality sometimes won't let that happen. I think I have found a balance that I didn't have before."

"Do you think your Ascension has something to do with it?" Jack asked and Teal'c concurred with a raised eyebrow

"I don't know," Daniel admitted. "However, I will continue to fight to the death to protect myself and you guys from harm. That won't change."

"Never doubted it for a second Danny-boy, now go get me a beer," Jack grinned and flicked a beer cap at his oldest best friend.

"Get it yourself," Daniel laughed, but got up anyways to get it for his friend, for that was what friends did for each other. They got each other beers and did things for each other, despite the laziness that they displayed ever so proudly.

It was good, Daniel thought to himself, to be back. Maybe he could rise from the ashes of ascension and unlock the mysteries of the Universe, even without the help of the Ancients, but with a little help from his friends – the best friends he had ever had.

Suddenly the phone rang, snapping him out of his revere.

"Hello," he said, thumbing the talk button on.

"You sneaky little bastard!" a familiar voice hissed. "I swear by all that under the heavens, I will get you and your shitty-ass friends for this."

"What's wrong Adam?" Daniel smirked. "Touch anything interesting lately?"

"Fuck you asshole," Methos snarled. "You and the rest of SG-1 might want to start sleeping with one eye open from now on."

"Oh, I am so scared," he said, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. Daniel could just about feel the hatred that was being directed towards him through the phone.

"Remember when I sold you into slavery? This will be worse. And don't forget that Death is patient and most unkind." With that, Methos slammed down the phone on to its receiver, an evil Mr. Burns smile playing across his face. _Oh just you wait_, he thought, _just you wait_.

"Guys," Daniel said, gulping slightly. "We are so dead. Methos is pissed and is plotting his revenge."

"Crap."

"Indeed"

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know. Please? Sorry that this was so late in coming. Real life, being sick, uninspired, need for research, and computer problems once again interfered with me being able to write. Thanks for coming back. It is appreciated.

First off, I do not mean to ruffle too many feathers here with this interpretation of the story of Exodus. I got some of the facts from a show I saw on the History Channel about the true story of Moses, the Pharaoh, etc. I also looked at several sites about the historical and archeological evidence about the Exodus. According to what I read and saw on TV, there are plenty of arguments that say the story in the Bible is an exaggeration, that the timeline is wrong, the route described is wrong, placement of the mountain that Moses climbed up to get the Ten Commandments is not what we know as Mt. Sinai, etc. It's a really interesting read. Also, the parting of the Red Sea is in dispute. The possible correct translation isn't Red Sea, but Reed Sea and the fact that Red and Reed are similar in English is pure coincidental, which would make it the head of the Gulf of Aqaba where reeds did grow because it is a fresh water area – not salty like the Red Sea is and apparently reeds can't grow in salt water (I did not know that, so you learn something new every day). Also, the parting of the water could have been attributed to an earthquake caused tsunami further out in the Gulf of Aqaba, thus killing the top officers of the Egyptian army. The pharaoh was not killed when the water came back, but if you lose your best officers, the troops will be demoralized a bit and leave them militarily leaderless, thus aiding in the escape of the Hebrews. According to the research, Exodus occurred sometime between 1300-1250 BC. They said that the calculations were off because of using base ten counting versus base 6 counting, elphs (I did not get that part, but apparently was important to the calculations), and who was in charge and whatnot. Also, the Bible put the number of Hebrew men somewhere around 650,000. If that was accurate, then the Hebrew population would have been astronomical and their leaving would have been significant enough to get more of a tiny mention in the Egyptian history (plus there were only 20 million people in the world at the time – the math isn't rational and is more symbolic than realistic).

Anyhoo, I hope too many people aren't offended by this – and just remember that I am religious, and my intention is just to tell a story, not to rip apart someone's faith. I also wanted to give a bit of an insight as to the madness that is Danil. Also, FYI: Apep is the Egyptian name for Apophis (Greek bastardization/stealing from another pantheon) and I tried to base a little bit of the imagery of the tsunami back in 2005. I sincerely hope that didn't bother you and if it did, I am so terribly sorry.

And Lorilei…you got your nekked Spacemonkey. Wipe up your drool please.


	17. Chapter 16

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

The next day at work Daniel was sitting in his office working on a translation brought back from PX5-258 while Jack was sitting on the couch, working on a long over due report (he had been kicked out of Sam's lab and Teal'c room earlier – apparently it was his turn to babysit the colonel). As he sat there lost in the task of trying to understand if the long dead writers of the tablet were trying to say 'care bears' or 'care of the bears,' he was doing his best to ignore his best friend. In reality, the translation really wasn't that important, it just served as a way of distracting himself from listening to Jack think out-loud.

As he sat there, he suddenly felt the familiar, yet powerful presence of another immortal. Methos, he thought absently, not bothering to look up to see if he was right. He knew it was the old guy; his Quickening was easily discernable from Siler's.

"You little shit," Methos snarled as he slammed the door open.

Daniel looked up in time to see a rock being hurled at his head. He instinctively held up his arms in front of his face, protecting it from harm. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, and the rock made its way through his defenses and hit him in the forehead, leaving him slightly dazed.

Daniel looked down, feeling a small trickle of blood ooze down his face and the familiar tingle of his speedy healing ability working its magic healing the wound. In his lap was a familiar object he had seen the other day on the planet dedicated to Priapus.

Methos had thrown a giant broken granite penis at him.

"You broke it?" Daniel asked, ignoring Jack's laughter. "Gods! How hard did you rub it?"

"I hate you, you know?" Methos snarled. "I had to touch the thing and as I was rubbing it, the damn thing broke off and all of that precious knowledge that the people spoke about was nothing more than the local version of the Kama Sutra. _That's_ why they have so many kids! They're fucking like rabbits and in ways I never thought humanly possible. Believe me when I say the pictures would make a yoga master cringe in pain."

Jack started singing the "Detachable Penis" song.

"How do you even know that song?" Methos stared at the colonel. "That's a slacker song."

Jack just shrugged. "Back when I was married, a neighbor's kid played that song constantly at unbelievable levels in his bedroom, loud enough we could hear it outside. Sara got upset when Charlie heard the song and asked what a detachable penis was in front of her parents. She then told me to go next door and tell the kid to stop with the racket. It just kind of stuck with me."

"You're a sick bastard," Methos said, shaking his head.

Daniel picked the thing up off his lap and gingerly placed the penis, half the size of what it had been when he had first seen it, on his desk. Even at half of its original size, having a two-foot penis staring at him was a bit disturbing.

Jack, trying to sober up but not succeeding, spoke up. "But did you learn anything useful?"

"I'll tell you after my next date," Methos said snidely.

At hearing that, Jack completely lost it and howled in amusement.

Of course at that moment, with Jack on the floor gasping for breath, Methos glaring violently at two of the people responsible for his mortification, and Daniel staring at the giant, broken penis on his desk, General Hammond chose that moment to enter Daniel's office.

"Do I even want to know what is going on and I know I am going to regret asking, but is that a penis on your desk Dr. Jackson?" the general asked, gritting his teeth.

"It's Dr. Pierson's sir," Daniel said, with a completely straight face. "He found it on PX3-198 and felt compelled to show it to me. I think he is suffering from some sort of Gate travel induced hysteria."

"Somehow I don't think Dr. Pierson is the one suffering from hysteria," Hammond said, taking in the view of Colonel O'Neill laughing like a maniac.

"I'm sorry sir," Jack struggled to rise and stop his laughter. "What can we do for you?"

"If you three aren't too busy with whatever it is you do, I got a call from the Pentagon and they want to move the budget meeting up from next week to tomorrow. We will be leaving from Peterson tomorrow at 0600 hours. Make sure you are packed for several days. I don't know how long this should take and I will warn you Dr. Jackson that the Joint Chiefs and Senator Kinsey are really interested in hearing about your year among the Ancients. Kinsey, in particular, doesn't believe that you are telling the truth that you really can't remember what happened while you are gone. Prepare yourself for an interrogation. Jack and I will be there for that, but it will be difficult. For the record, I am sorry that you are going to have to deal with this," Hammond said, looking sorry and apologetic.

Daniel managed to smile slightly. "I understand sir. If I were them, I would want to know what happened also."

"Very well son," Hammond said, seeing irony in calling Dr. Jackson son. "I will see the both of you at Peterson tomorrow morning. Dr. Pierson, please don't make me remind you about the regulations concerning workplace etiquette and take your penis and put it somewhere that will not get us all slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit." Somehow the General managed to say that last bit with a completely straight face.

"Yes sir," Adam said doing his best to not roll his eyes (he actually respected the General and in a way the man reminded him fondly of Joe for some reason) and ignore Jack's renewed howling.

"Fine," Hammond said and quickly retreated. He slammed the door quickly before he totally lost it in front of the others. Once the door was shut, he let loose and laugh until his eyes started to tear up. He couldn't help it; there was a giant penis sitting on Dr. Jackson's desk that supposedly belonged to Dr. Pierson. He knew that it had something to do with the mission that SG-12 had went on yesterday, but when it came down to it, he really did not want to know _all_ of the details. Certain things were better left unsaid. This was definitely a case of don't ask, don't tell if there ever was one.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The next morning, General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill, and Dr. Jackson were aboard a C-20A Gulfstream III, headed off towards Washington DC (though in reality their final destination was Arlington, Virginia – for some reason the Pentagon had to have the same zip code as DC's) to face budgetary meetings and (in Daniel's case) an interrogation by the JCS and the bane of the entire SGC: Senator Robert Kinsey.

Over the course of the flight, the three of them managed to find things to do to occupy themselves. Each of them had briefings to prepare for, to justify the expense of running the SGC. It was a hefty budget and each and every expense had to be justified. From the latest naquadah generator to the bullets for P-90s to the amount of paperclips used had to be justified to someone. Hopefully, with the idea that there was an Ancient weapon out there somewhere that could defend Earth from the Goa'uld that would lean the bean counters more towards allowing the SGC to keep (or even expand) its yearly budget.

An hour before they were to land at Andrews Air Force base, where a car was waiting to take them to their hotel to drop off their stuff and then on to the Pentagon, Jack managed to casually bring up the subject of whether or not Daniel had his sword with him.

"Yes mom, I have my sword with me," Daniel said quietly, exasperated at Jack's insistence that despite his centuries of experience, that Daniel needed to be reminded to have his sword on him.

"I'm just wondering how you are going to be able to get it into the Pentagon. They have things called metal detectors you know," Jack asked.

"Oh really? That fascinating bit of technology totally slipped my mind. When did they ever invent those marvelous things?" Daniel bit out; sarcasm lacing his every word. "I'm going to leave it at the hotel."

"But what if you run into someone?"

"What, in the Pentagon? In front of all of those witnesses?" he said, feigning shock. "Please Jack, we might really go at it while fighting, ignoring everything else, as a general rule we know how to be discrete, especially in a building full of military personnel. We're Immortal, not stupid – well, most of us anyway. It's not like someone is going to challenge me in the middle of Ground Zero."

"I'm just wondering," Jack asked. "Can't a friend show some measure of concern?"

"I'm fine Jack. I'm a big boy and I have a good majority of my memory back. I know how to take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time. You know, I managed to survive World War II without a sword for the majority of the time, I think I will manage to survive a few days at the Pentagon unarmed."

"Don't count on that," General Hammond muttered, not bothering to look up from his paperwork. "If I thought I could get away with it, I'd have a Zat with me."

The rest of the trip lapsed in to a comfortable silence. Soon they arrived at Andrews and were met by a car that was to take them to their hotel. They were staying at the Comfort Inn at the Pentagon (not actually _at_ the Pentagon, just near-by). Hammond, being a general, rated his own room, while Jack and Daniel got to share a room.

Once their bags were stowed and Daniel had removed his sword (this time he wasn't carrying his Jian, but a Greek sword - it was slightly shorter, a bit stronger, and easier to hide) from his jacket and placed it under his bed, they headed out to the Pentagon for rounds upon rounds of meetings in the basement of the DOD building, discussing funding, scientific research, acquired weapons and technology, and eventually Daniel's year among the Ascended.

"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up in a meeting on the Hill," a familiar and irritating voice called out from the doorway to the room where the ultra-secret meeting was taking place. "I didn't want to miss Dr. Jackson's fantastical story about life with the Ancients."

"Senator Kinsey, how nice of it is of you to arrive," General Post called out, not even bothering to hide the eye roll.

General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill both bit back scathing comments while Daniel momentarily sighed and stared at the oak table in front of him.

Suddenly Daniel stiffened; a familiar pounding at the base of his skull alerted him to the presence of another Immortal. _Oh please_, Daniel thought wildly, praying to whatever true god was out there listening, _don't let it be Kinsey. I will find a way to take my own head with my pen if he's an Immortal too, I swear it_.

Following Kinsey was a man of slightly below average height, no more than five-seven, probably around one hundred, sixty pounds. The stranger was dressed impeccably in a dark suit, white shirt, and muted tie, like any government drone. His dark curly hair was cropped short and his warm brown eyes darted around, searching for the other Immortal in the room. His slightly olive, darker skin tone, familiar stance, the way he carried himself brought back ancient memories and ill-intents.

Daniel's eyes widened fractionally when he finally recognized the man that was literally standing in Kinsey's shadow.

Josiah.

_This has to be some joke. He can't be here, still alive, working for Kinsey_, Daniel thought frantically.

"Gentlemen, this is my aid Joseph Sherman. He has been fully briefed about the Stargate program. He will be sitting in on this briefing," Kinsey announced, ignoring any protests made by the military personnel in the room as he took a seat on the platform that loomed over the three at the lower table.

Sherman, for his part, spied Dr. Jackson sitting at one of the front tables, flanked by a general and a colonel. His eyes went even wider; never in his wildest imagination did he expect to see his old teacher again, especially at the Pentagon.

_Oh sweet Lord, he is going to want my head on a platter_, Josiah thought wildly, _and I don't blame him in the least._

"Very well," General Post said his voice clearly tinged with disdain. "Please join us Senator. Dr. Jackson, you were about to tell us about your time among the Ascended."

Daniel gave Josiah/Joseph a long, scathing look, watching the man take a seat near the door, pulling out a legal pad, ready to take notes, before returning his attention to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"I can't tell you what I don't remember. My memories of my time with the Ascended have been stripped from my mind," Daniel replied.

Kinsey started laughing. "Oh come on Doctor! Do you really expect us to believe that? You remembered seeing the Jaffa's son on some slave planet and helped to lead a rescue effort to free a bunch of Jaffa. If you could remember something that insignificant, surely you can remember something a bit more important that will benefit America."

Daniel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I hardly think freeing Teal'c's son and Master Bray'tac, along with dozens of enslaved Jaffa is something to be considered insignificant. I don't know why I was allowed to remember seeing them there, but I did. Everything else is a complete blank. If I knew where some super weapon was that could defend Earth from a Goa'uld invasion, I would say so, but I don't."

"According to reports, during the attack on Abydos you said that a certain tablet would lead us to finding Atlantis, an Ancient outpost that would be able to defend the United States, yet somehow the tablet led SG1 not to the mythical city, but a bunch of ruins, unintelligent nomads, and yourself. Forgive me if I don't exactly believe you Dr. Jackson," Kinsey spat at one of his greatest stumbling blocks to controlling the SGC.

"I read the report and all I know about that is from the report. I do not remember the destruction of Abydos nor anything I might have said while there," Daniel virtually seethed.

"Considering some of your past behavior and certain incidents, your word is far from being trustworthy," Kinsey shot back.

Daniel's hand twitched slightly, as if it was unconsciously searching for a weapon that he could use on the Senator.

Jack, noticing Daniel's ire, placed a hand on his friend, mentally willing him to remain calm; killing the Senator was not the best option right then.

"I have given everything to this program," Daniel hissed. "I have died how many times in the line of duty? I have lost my wife, my in-laws, an ex-girlfriend, and have forgone any chance at redeeming myself in the academic world by keeping silent about the truth. How dare you tell me that I am not trustworthy Mr. Senator? I sacrificed myself over a year ago to prevent a world from self destructing. I died a horrible and agonizing death to prevent millions, if not billions, of ungrateful people from dying – not to mention my teammates, which unfortunately I remember very clearly. Why don't you try dying of radiation poisoning and tell me what it's like before you start accusing me of not being trustworthy!"

"Gentlemen," Hammond broke in, knowing that this was going nowhere and all Kinsey wanted was a chance to see how far he could push Dr. Jackson from saying or doing something rash. "Dr. Jackson has repeatedly said that he does not remember his time among the Ancients and I can assure you that if he suddenly has a flash of insight, he will tell us immediately. There is no one Dr. Jackson would rather see destroyed than the Goa'uld. He has proven himself time and time again that his loyalty is to the United States, the SGC, and planet Earth."

Kinsey looked as if he were about to say something, but Admiral Winslow broke in before the exchange between Kinsey and Jackson could turn into a real pissing match. Granted he would have loved to have seen Jackson verbally eviscerate the Senator, but it would not have helped matters in the long run. Kinsey would only make everyone's lives a living hell and seeing the doctor take him down a step would not really help anything, especially when certain projects came before the Armed Services Committee that Kinsey headed.

"If Dr. Jackson says he does not remember anything," said the chairman of the JCS, "then that is that. I am sure that Dr. Jackson is not holding anything back from us and if something does pop up, he will let us know. For now, let's call it a day and reconvene tomorrow at 1000 hours. Thank you very much for your time."

As the military generals and admirals filed out of the room, Kinsey hung back, more than willing to not let his displeasure dropped from discussion.

"You may have fooled everyone in this room wearing a uniform, but not me Jackson. If I had my way, you would never have been allowed back into the program. You'd be out at Area 51, being thoroughly examined to see how it is you were able to ascend," Kinsey snarled, stepping closer to Hammond, O'Neill, and Jackson.

The though alone of being held prisoner by the government, being experimented upon like a lab rat made both Immortals pale slightly (though since Kinsey had his back to his aide, he never saw Joseph's reaction). They lived with the fear that the government would someday find out about Immortals and turn their lives in to one giant science fair, ala Mengels.

"Too bad it's not up to you Senator," O'Neill said, stepping right up to Kinsey, not letting him any closer to his best friend. "Daniel has given his life for this program and world. You'd do best to remember that."

"Don't you dare threaten me Colonel," Kinsey snarled.

"I don't make threats Kinsey. Why don't you go crawl back under the rock you slithered out of and leave us the hell alone," O'Neill threw back at the man.

"Colonel! That will be enough," Hammond interceded, not wanting this exchange to go any further. He agreed one hundred percent with his second-in-command, but he did not want Jack doing something that would destroy his career completely. "Good day Senator," the general said, glaring at the taller man.

"We'll see how good of a day it is when the President hears about all of this," Kinsey said. "Sherman!" he barked, not realizing that his aide was now standing directly behind him.

"Yes sir?" Sherman asked his voice soft.

"Get my car, we are leaving," he bellowed.

Daniel, in the meantime, was staring directly at the other Immortal, sizing him up, wondering what in the hell the little bastard was doing with Kinsey, what he had been up to for the past three thousand years. _Why in the fuck did he have to show up now_, he thought to himself.

As soon as Kinsey strode out the door, leaving Josiah behind, Daniel called out to his old student, speaking in Aramaic, knowing that the chances of anyone understanding what he was saying was slim to none.

"I'm staying at the Comfort Inn off I-395. You and I need to have a discussion that is centuries overdue," Danil said dispassionately, though there was a hard and chilling edge to his voice. "If you don't stop by, I'll only come looking for you. Do you really want _me_ looking for you?"

Josiah didn't say anything, but just nodded and hurried after the senator.

Jack, however was not a fool, and knew immediately that the little guy that was Kinsey's errand boy was not a regular human, judging my Daniel's reaction to him. "Danny, do you want to explain yourself?"

"That was Josiah," was all he would say and clammed up immediately after that. He did not want to go into a detailed discussion about Immortality in the bowels of the Pentagon. It was not the place or time for that kind of discussion.

"Oh," was all Jack could say, knowing that now was not the time for an in depth discussion, but mentally promised that he would speak to Daniel later and then clue in the general why Daniel had suddenly gone stone cold in the presence of Kinsey's aid and was speaking in a weird, foreign language. Jack knew immediately that this person was the former student that had almost killed him, killed his wife, and had served as a catalyst for Daniel joining back up with his old buddies the Horsemen.

_Goddamn, can't we go somewhere without Daniel worrying about other Immortals or crazy natives wanting his head on a platter_, Jack groused to himself, not realizing that Daniel was thinking almost the same thing.

_Obviously not_, they came to the same conclusion and followed Hammond out the door.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know your thoughts.

Okay, I have had the worst luck with computers lately. Apparently mine at home is possessed by the devil and has decided to rebel against me. I am seriously considering calling in a young priest and an old priest and letting them have a go at the machine. However, with a lot of patience, two snow days, and a great cheerleader by the name of Lorilei, this chapter finally got done. I hope it met with your approval and I hope that the next chapter will also meet your expectations. Thank you for reading, leaving reviews, and putting the story on lists. I truly appreciate it.

I am assuming that Kinsey is still a senator and hasn't become the vice-president yet. I am basing this off a time line that had Daniel being found in February, well before the national elections that would have taken place in November and that The Lost City, parts 1 and 2, took place about a year from Homecoming. I love how our national elections seem to last longer and longer each and every time they pop up, so I figured that this time frame would fit into the story somehow. I am also assuming that Kinsey is on the Armed Services Committee (I think that is the name of the oversight committee) and would be included in a SGC budgetary meeting at the Pentagon as a senior senator. Finally, just so you know, Ground Zero is the name of the inner courtyard of the Pentagon and is not a reference to 9-11; it was given that name back in the Cold War because people figured that the Pentagon would be one of the first sites attacked by the Soviets.

And in case you don't know, there is a song called "Detachable Penis" by King Missal. It came out in 1993 I believe and somehow I thought it would be appropriate to use somehow (though not as a song fic because I generally don't go for those and I think they are banned by when Methos threw the broken penis at his old friend. I heard it on the radio this afternoon during the 90s at Noon segment whose theme today in honor of all of the idiots out on the road was morons and losers. I think I have the song on my IPod come to think of it. Anyway, I thought it fit the moment and I can't get the damn thing out of my head right now.

Cheers!


	18. Chapter 17

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

General Hammond, Jack, and Daniel finished up their work and were eventually released from the Pentagon to spend the night as they saw fit.

They went to Zaytinya's across the river. It served a Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine that had come highly recommended by an aide to General Post. Hammond and Jack were hoping that the food and pleasant atmosphere would encourage Daniel to talk about what he had said to Kinsey's aide.

Unfortunately, the good food, the pleasant décor, warm candle-lit atmosphere did nothing to lighten Daniel's rapidly darkening mood. In fact the archeologist sat there, pushing his food around his plate and ended up staring into his wine as he swirled it absently in his glass.

"Daniel, you're driving me nuts. What is going on in that head of yours?" Jack asked, finally deciding that he couldn't take Daniel's brooding silence any longer.

"Nuts, you?" Daniel asked absently, not looking at his friend, continuing to stare at the glass in his hand.

"Oh aren't we the witty one? What's going on in that head of your Daniel?' Jack repeated himself, hoping that Daniel would talk about meeting up with his old student. While he wasn't one for sharing his own personal feelings, he had no problem with being willing to listen to others. If it made him a hypocrite, so be it. He really didn't care about that; he cared about his friends.

"What do you think?" Daniel said angrily, though careful to keep his voice down.

Jack however was not going to allow Daniel to hide his feelings, crawl in to his personal fortress of solitude. His best friend needed to talk and now was as good of a time as any. The place was public, but loud enough that their conversation would not be overheard by anyone.

"Honestly, knowing what I know about you, your past, and your temper, I am thinking worst case scenario," Jack said, leaning forward, staring hard at his friend, doing his best to gage what was going on behind Daniel's blue eyes.

"I'm pissed Jack. That little slimy bastard slithered his way back into my life, not to mention that he is here as an aide to Kinsey, which makes things complicated," Daniel sighed.

"Things being complicated seems to be almost normal for SG-1," Hammond muttered then took a sip of his wine, enjoying the smoothness of the liquid.

"There is a big part of me that would really love to take his head then turn his remains into lawn ornaments for Kinsey's front yard," Daniel half laughed, but it was easy to see that despite the glibness of his reply, the man was serious.

"That's disturbing," Jack said. "Though the guy would make an interesting lawn jockey or one of those whirly things old people put in their front yard. His head could be the body of the ornament, while his arms and legs could be the spinning parts. I wonder if we could do that to Kinsey?"

Hammond looked over at his second-in-command, clearly uneasy with where this discussion. "Can we get back to the conversation please and away from this discussion before I have to recommend you for a psych evaluation Colonel?"

The amused look faded from Jack's face and forced him-self to reign in his wacky imagination. "Getting back, I am hearing a big _but_ here."

Daniel snorted. "If Adam ever asks you to go horseback riding with him, for the sake of the world, say no. You're kind of scary sometimes. And you are right. There is a big _but_ here."

Jack made rolling motions, wanting his friend to get on with it, to stop dragging the story out.

"He's Kinsey's aide, which means that he can't just disappear without someone being suspicious, especially Kinsey. The man hates all of us with a passion and would immediately and rightfully so, suspect us of doing something to his aide. Kinsey, while he is a total ass, he isn't completely stupid. He would start to look into things, Josiah's past and mine too and could expose Immortals to the world. We would end up being lab experiments in Area 51, being vivisected, tested, and tortured in the quest to build a better soldier. Friends and enemies would be hunted down and captured. We barely managed to keep our secret from Hitler and I don't want to be the one responsible for Kinsey making Mengels look like a toddler with a temper tantrum. He could easily be worse, using national security as a justification to play Frankenstein on a bunch of innocent people," Daniel said, careful to keep his voice down. "There is also the small matter that he was my student. It's no small thing to actually kill your former student. Granted the tradition of not killing your student has been broken by countless others, I've never wanted to join the ranks of those that have broken that bond and actually taken a student's head."

"Question," Jack said, caution in his voice. "Would your wife want you to take revenge on your former student?"

"Yes."

Jack and Hammond blinked.

Daniel sighed. "It was a different time. Harere was the daughter of a general. Her people put a lot of stock into the idea of protecting your own and honor. He dishonored us by stealing from us, trying to kill me, and killing her. She would want me to kill him. The idea of pacifism, turning the other cheek, and forgiving your enemies did not start to take hold until twelve hundred years later; even then it's a more modern concept and would have been a foreign to most people back then."

"What about you? How do you feel? You aren't the same person you were three plus thousand years ago. Will killing Josiah make you feel any better? You aren't Danil anymore, you're Daniel Jackson. The guy I know wouldn't kill someone to make himself feel better over something that happened thousands of years ago," Jack wisely said. "Do you really feel the need in your heart to kill him?"

The Immortal member of SG-1 shrugged. "The darker part of me, Danil, still rears his ugly head, screaming for blood, but the voice is much quieter these days and doesn't dominate me like it used to."

"Do you think your time with the glow club has something to do with it?" Jack asked.

"Yes and no. Adam and I had this conversation awhile back. I would like to think the Oma saw that I had changed since my period of insanity. I honestly feel that I have changed, but Danil is still there, lurking in the back of my mind biding his time until he has to be released," Daniel replied.

"And what does Daniel Jackson, peaceful explorer, say now?" Jack pressed.

"He's saying that I don't want the guy's head, but that I will defend myself if necessary. He's also saying that it might be okay and fun to scare the piss out of Josiah," was Daniel's answer, a small smile on his face as he dug into his food, his heart a bit lighter.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Hammond had left the duo behind, having made plans with General Post earlier. He did caution Daniel to be careful and not do something rash that would endanger himself and the SGC.

Daniel, always respectful (unless under the occasional influence of alien technology) acknowledged the general's words and promised to be smart about confronting Josiah.

Eventually, Daniel grabbed his jacket and pulled his sword out from under his bed.

"Where you are going?" Jack asked.

"I'll be outside by the pool waiting for Josiah. I figure you and the hotel staff might get a bit pissed if we end up destroying the room. I don't think there's a coked up celebrity staying here that we could blame the mess on."

Jack looked at him with a measurable amount of concern. "Do you think he'll actually come and if he does show up, do you think you can take him if he challenges you?"

"Wow, thanks for the moral support there my friend," Daniel said caustically, rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm just saying that this would be your first real challenge since you came back from being ascended. And before you say anything, that idiot at Circuit City doesn't count. This guy has three thousand years under his belt; do you think you can take him?" Jack pressed, looking slightly worried.

Daniel did his best to project an aura of confidence, not wanting his best friend to worry too much about him. "I've been practicing a lot with Methos, who is one of the best swordsmen out there, making sure I can deal with a real challenge if faced with one. And you're right the idiot at the electronics store didn't really count. He was an idiot and an asshole. Josiah will be different, but I am fairly confident in myself and my skills."

"Fairly confident?" Jack grew wide-eyed at that hearing that.

"Jack, I can't be one hundred percent sure about anything, but I am fairly certain that I am ready for this," Daniel said, not wanting to deliberately alarm his friend, but not wanting to give him false expectations.

Jack took this in and looked seriously at his friend. "Daniel, I can't tell you what to do; you're a grown man and part of something that despite my best effort to understand, I can't totally get my head around. However, if you end up fighting this guy, win. He isn't your student anymore, when he killed your wife and tried to kill you, he destroyed that connection to you. That said don't let your nasty, pissy-ass side overtake your more reasonable self."

"I know Jack.try not to worry too much. I'll be out by the pool if anyone asks where I can be found," Daniel said. "Also, please remember that no matter what happens, you need to stay out of it Jack. It's my fight."

"So you're already expecting it to turn out that way?" Jack asked a hard look in his eyes. "That's quite to positive outlook you got there."

Daniel shrugged. "Just being realistic really."

"Watch your-self Danny-boy," Jack sighed, knowing that there was nothing more that he say or do to get Daniel to avoid a possible fight.

"Always," Daniel said, offering up a ghost of a smile to his friend.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Jack watched his friend leave. He tried to watch some television, but after reading the digital description of what was coming up, he made a quick decision. He knew that Daniel would not be entirely too happy with him, but it wasn't like he was actually interfering. He was just, Jack reasoned, being a concerned friend and team leader. If he had to go through the process of finding and breaking in a new archeologist again, Jack knew there wasn't enough storage under Cheyenne Mountain to hide all of the bodies that would accumulate in a short period of time. The time when Daniel had been with the Glow Club had been bad enough; he didn't want to have to spend the rest of his military career (or until the Goa'uld finally got around to blowing Earth's collective ass out of the solar system) without an experienced archeologist by his side and being a voice of reason in a typically chaotic SG1 mission

He picked up his jacket and a newspaper, and went downstairs to the hotel lobby. There he sat down in the lobby, covertly watching the front door, waiting for Kinsey's aide to arrive. Within the hour, the slighter man arrived through the front door and looked slightly fearful as he scanned the large room, as if he half expected Daniel to jump out from behind the potted palm tree and attack him with his sword.

"Sherman," Jack called out, remembering the other Immortal's current identity and stood up, ignoring the loud creaking in his knees.

Josiah looked startled, seeing the Colonel sitting in an alcove off to his right. Immediately he tensed, automatically suspicious as to why O'Neill was there.

"I'm not here to interfere," O'Neill said quietly, careful to let Josiah see that his hands were empty and that he posed no immediate threat. He remembered Daniel telling him about an Immortal friend of his that had been killed by mortals and how that event had rattled the entire Immortal community to the point where many of their kind were suspicious of any mortal that involved themselves with the dealing of Immortals. He didn't want Daniel's ex-student to think that he had something devious in mind, causing the Immortal to react badly and end up shish-ka-bobbing him as a result of his good intentions.

Josiah, still looking weary, drew his jacket further around his frame. "Then what do you want?" his voice clear and steady, no trace of an accent that would mark his origins as something other than being from the US of A. It made Jack wonder briefly about Daniel's accent, or lack thereof.

"Daniel is waiting out by the pool. I just wanted to have a word with you before you two got into anything," Jack said calmly and gestured towards the chair and sofa combo that he had just vacated.

"Why?" Josiah asked, slowly sitting down on the burgundy couch

"Why not?" Jack replied, sitting on a coordinating over-stuffed chair across from the older man.

Josiah shrugged and joined O'Neill in the nook by a picture window. He sat down and stared at the mortal, letting him start the conversation.

"Do you want to fight Daniel? Seriously?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. Why do you want to know? Are you here to talk me out of it, afraid that your friend will lose?" Josiah asked, staring at the Colonel, his brown eyes as cold and unfeeling as Jack's eyes.

"Hardly," Jack snorted. "I haven't been able to talk Daniel out of anything since I met him. I know better than to expect the impossible. I just wanted to ask you a question or two."

"About what?" Josiah asked hostility evident in his voice.

"I want to know why you tried to kill Daniel all those years ago. He was your teacher. Why would you do that to someone that took you in?" Jack pressed.

"We needed the supplies," was Josiah's half-truth response.

Jack ground his teeth. "I am sure that if you had asked, Daniel would have given them to you. Instead you tried to take his head and killed his wife. Did you know that in doing so, through your betrayal, you unleashed something pretty damn scary?"

"What are you talking about?" Josiah asked; curiosity and shame coloring his words.

The mortal sighed. "Daniel has a very nasty side and I will readily admit that I don't know all of it, but from what he has told me, he was not a pretty site. Chaos, death, and destruction were the calling cards of him and his friends. Also, while he is in all honesty and sincerity a peaceful man, he has the heart and skill of a warrior."

"Oh Lord! Was Daniel one of the Horsemen?" Josiah asked, recalling stories and legends that had circulated through the Immortal community over the millennia.

"No," Jack said darkly. "He was apparently friends with them though. Your betrayal and how he died while chasing you sent him over the edge."

Josiah was visibly pale as he thought back to what had transpired three thousand years before and what his actions had unleashed. While he wasn't responsible for what Dan'yar had actually done to others, he was responsible for being the catalyst to bring about the homicidal bent his old teacher had apparently experienced.

"Why are you telling me this?" Josiah questioned when he was finally able to find his voice.

"I want you to think about what you did when you go out there. I want you to understand fully who and what Daniel is and what you helped bring about. While I am sure that eventually Daniel would have snapped and gone all Road Warrior at some point, your betrayal as his student did not help things. Also, I want you to consider what your position as an aide to Kinsey entails. If you, or Daniel to a lesser extent, were to suddenly disappear or show up somewhere a head shorter, there would be an inquiry by certain government agencies, namely the NID. I am sure you are aware of Kinsey's ties to them. What if the NID were to find out about you guys, hunt you down, and start experimenting on you like lab rats?"

"I see," Josiah said evenly, carefully schooling his features so that the Colonel would not be able to see the disquiet that was going on in his mind.

"Thank you for this talk Colonel," Josiah abruptly said and stood up. "You said he is out by the pool?"

"Yeah he is," Jack replied, looking hard at the Immortal. "I'd wish you luck, but Daniel is one of my best friends and deep down, if it comes to a fight between the two of you, I hopes he kicks your ass."

Josiah nodded his head, accepting Jack's words, leaving the mortal behind, ready to face his old teacher, finally after three thousand years.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"Dan'yar," Josiah called out, looking all around him, taking in the stacked white plastic chairs and the tarp covered swimming pool.

"Not to get all clichéd about it, but Dan'yar is dead and gone. You can call me Danil if you like," Daniel said, adopting his older, colder personae. His expression was pretty unreadable, but there was a dangerous and calculating look in his ice-blue eyes. He sat there in one of the lawn chairs, his sword lying across his lap, ready for action and violence.

Josiah, despite feeling a cold chill run down his back as he gazed upon his first teacher, he forced himself to look Danil in the eye. While he had taken plenty of heads in his time, and gained a considerable amount of skill and knowledge in the past three thousand plus years, he felt easy to stand before the man he had betrayed. "So what now?"

"I want to know why you felt it was necessary to try and take my head and then kill my wife," Daniel asked harshly.

"I was scared. You talked about the Game and that there would be people after my head because I was new and many would take me for a weakling, easy prey," Josiah confessed. "We were told that we had to go and the thought of being out there in the world, an easy target for other Immortals scared me. I thought that if I had your knowledge and skill, I would be safer and that I would be able to protect my people."

"You were plenty skilled and could have easily defended yourself from most threats. I would not have trained you otherwise. I wasn't the type of teacher that would allow my student to be unprepared for the future. If you had wanted to go, I would have given you my blessings and reassurances that you were ready to take care of yourself. You didn't have to steal from my home, you definitely didn't need to try and kill me, and you sure as all hell didn't need to kill Harere!" With each word, Daniel's voice grew sharper and louder, venom pouring from his tongue as he verbally attacked his old student.

Josiah shook his head vehemently. "Killing her was an accident. I had my sword raised over your neck and she ran at me with a knife. I reacted without thinking. I never intended to hurt her."

"Oh, so that makes it all better? You meant to kill me and take my head, but you didn't mean to kill my wife. That's so nice of you."

"Danil," Josiah pleaded, knowing that despite that he didn't deserve it he wanted his former teacher's understanding, if not forgiveness. "I am so sorry for what I did. I never meant to kill Harere and I am so sorry that I betrayed you."

"Do you know what happened after I revived?" Daniel asked, this time his voice void of the hot anger that had been present before, now replaced with an icy fury.

"I heard some things," Josiah ventured.

"After I was killed at the Gulf of Aqaba, I ran into my old friends – the Four Horsemen. I wish I could say that I had a complete break with reality and had no ability to tell right from wrong, but that would be a lie. Sadly enough, I knew better, I just didn't care anymore and I wanted revenge. Since I couldn't have your head, I punished everyone for your actions. I joined up with four of the most infamous Immortals and helped them in their reign of terror across three continents. I was Hades, always following Death, killing whoever crossed my path."

"That was a long time ago," Josiah observed feeling the blood drain from his face.

"Yes it was, but things could always change," Daniel said, playing up the part of Danil. "That part of me is just stored away, it was never completely gone."

"I've seen your file, thanks to my position as a top aide to Senator Kinsey, though I did not even slightly suspect that Dr. Daniel Jackson could be Dan'yar my teacher from over three thousand years ago. A picture wasn't in the folder that I had been given. However what I did see was pretty interesting and let me make my assumptions with less prejudice than I would have if I had know that Dr. Jackson was actually the Dan'yar I knew from long ago. According to your psych profile, you aren't the homicidal maniac that you had been once upon a time and according to Kinsey you are, and I quote, a god-damn tree-hugging, bleeding-heart hippie that wants everyone in the galaxy to be happy and who doesn't give a fuck about the security of the United States."

"I was never a hippie and I don't exactly care about the happiness of the Goa'uld," Daniel said snidely. "And I don't care about the United States? How many times have I died for this planet? Besides, do you really think I would let some shrink actually get inside my head, letting them find out who I really am? Would you?"

"Probably not," Josiah said slowly. "But what about when you ascended? Would you have been allowed to join the Ancients if you were still that way?"

"Maybe Oma made a mistake. The Ancients aren't omnipotent you know," he said.

"You aren't Anubis. Anyways, all I can do is apologize to you for what I did. If you don't accept it, fine and we can always fight it out," Josiah offered.

"Are you sure you want to do that? You won't get to cheat this time," Daniel taunted his former student.

"I've learned a few things since we parted," Josiah said, stepping back putting some distance between him and Danil, careful to angle him-self so he wouldn't fall into the empty pool (it wasn't warm enough for the outdoor pool to be put into usage just yet).

Daniel smiled a nasty smile. "So have I. It's amazing what you can learn from some of the more infamous mass murderers in history."

Josiah, with over three thousand years of experience under his belt did his best to not visibly gulp in fear, but he still felt a flash of fear deep within himself. He would be facing his old teacher, an ancient Immortal, in an even fight. No tricks, no cheating was going to be allowed this time. It would be skill against skill alone and from what Josiah remembered, Dan'yar had been a sword master back when they had first met and surely he had kept up with his skills and had grown even more skilled than from before. While he was far from being a slouch, there was always the possibility that his opponent might be more skilled and more determined to win than him. This could very well be the case.

Dan'yar, Danil, Daniel, or whatever he chose to call himself in thin incarnation clearly oozed with skill and power – his Quickening signature was completely off the scale of anything he had ever encountered before in his long life. Also, there was a look in his eyes that screamed bull-headed determination – probably the same thing that made him such a valued member of the SGC, if the files and reports that he had read were anything to go by.

Daniel unfolded himself from the chair, standing up and stretching, his sword in hand. He held it up, inspecting the blade carefully. In the sickly amber glow given off by the lights mounted around the pool area, the metal gleamed

"You know, I've never killed a former student of mine," Daniel commented off-handedly. He held his sword in a low hand set, at a diagonal covering from his hip to his left knee. Daniel looked ill prepared, not at all ready to defend him-self, unlike Josiah who held his sword out in front of his body, guarding his kill-zone.

Both Immortals stood there, neither of them blinking.

Before anyone could draw in a breath, yell out a warning, Daniel moved. His sword came up in a clearing arc, knocking Josiah's a fraction to the side, but that was all Daniel needed. He drew up his knee and delivered a brutal, but effective side kick to his opponent's knee, forcing the joint backwards. A sickening crunching sound could be heard clearly though the night air. As much as Josiah might not have wanted to react, he could not help a yelp of pain escape from his lips as his knee shattered.

Daniel, not wasting any time, slid forward and brought his trailing leg up and drove it into the other Immortal's stomach. As he did this he brought the pommel of his sword down, striking Josiah just above the base of his skull, causing them man to fall further down, this time, barely able to stand on his one good leg as the injured on started to slowly knit together. To add insult to injury, Daniel then brought up his knee, smashing Josiah in the nose, causing blood to spurt and spatter all over the place.

Josiah crumpled to the ground. Daniel let him hit the pavement like a sack of wet sand. Josiah's sword clattered on the ground, the metal shrieked as it scraped across the concrete. Blood and tears of pain that he could not avoid, formed a pool beneath his head even as his Quickening began to heal the newer injuries.

Daniel stood over him; barely breathing hard, the effort apparently had taken little energy to accomplish. He let the tip of his sword dig in slightly as he drew it across his former student's neck. He stepped on the sword, preventing Josiah from picking it up to defend himself.

"You killed an innocent woman because you were scared. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you," Daniel said, ice in his voice, playing the part of Danil to the hilt (no pun intended).

"I want to live," Josiah's mumbled reply came, his voice distorted by a broken nose and possible jaw. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry that I killed Harere. I was stupid and foolish. Please don't kill me." Josiah did not beg, he did not bawl, he simply answered his old teacher's question, putting all the truth and conviction he could into his voice and words, hoping that even if Dan'yar did not spare his life, he would at least make it as painless as possible. He remembered when Dan'yar had admitted to torturing someone back when things had been simpler, more innocent; when they had been teacher and student, not adversaries.

Daniel smiled coldly and raised the sword high over his head, preparing to take the other Immortal's head. He swung downwards, power and energy, combined with gravity, the blade sliced through the air. It made a tiny whistling noise as it sped towards the fallen Immortal's neck.

With only millimeters to spare before the razor sharp blade sliced through the muscles, tendons, arteries, and all of the parts that made up the neck of a person, Daniel stilled the blade, wrenching his shoulders, but refusing to let Josiah know how much it actually hurt to stop himself.

"I haven't ever killed a student, and I am not about to start with you," Daniel said softly.

"But I don't understand," Josiah whispered, looking up at his teacher.

"Killing you won't bring Harere back, as the cliché goes. However, you are more valuable to the SGC alive than dead. You owe me your life and you will pay me back by being the eyes and ears for the SGC in Kinsey's office. If you betray any of us to that slimy bastard, I will come after you and kill you. No mercy, no second chances. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Daniel said evenly, his blue eyes dark and probing. "If you find out that Kinsey is trying to make a move against Hammond, SG1, any other personnel from the SGC, or their families, you are to call me or Colonel O'Neill immediately. Do you understand what will happen if you fail?"

Josiah nodded numbly, grateful for the reprieve. He knew that Dan'yar had every reason and right to kill him, yet he showed mercy.

"Don't think that I am showing you mercy. Like I said, you are more valuable alive than dead. The survival of the SGC and this planet is more important than the three thousand year old grudge I have against you. You fuck me with me even once and there will not be anywhere on this planet or even the galaxy you can hide. I will hunt you down and demonstrate what it was like when I was known as Hades, friend and companion to the Horsemen," Daniel hissed, his voice full of conviction and venom.

With that Daniel fished a business card out of his pocket and threw it at Josiah. "Before the shit hits the fan, I had better get a phone call from you." He backed up, taking his foot off Josiah's sword and moved far enough back that he wouldn't be taken by surprise if Josiah decided to attempt to kill him once again.

With that, Josiah grabbed the card, wiped the blood from his face. His picked up his sword and looked over at Daniel, knowing that the man was not going to let him take him by surprise again, knowing that if he tried anything, Dan'yar _would_ kill him, regardless of the cost to the SGC.

He tried to think of something clever or witty, but nothing came to mind. It wasn't appropriate and he was old enough to know when to shut the hell up. Instead he nodded and beat a hasty retreat.

Daniel watched him go and finally let out a great sigh.

"Was that _wise_?" Jack called, standing in the shadows, his arms folded across the top of the fence, watching his friend with concern.

A grin broke out across Daniel's face. "It was. It might serve us to have an inside person on Kinsey's staff." He wasn't surprised to see his friend there. "Did you have fun talking to him before he came out? And didn't I tell you to not interfere?"

Jack affected an innocent look. "Who me?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Jack, I can see through the windows directly into the lobby from here," he vaguely gestured towards the building. "I saw you talking to him."

"I didn't interfere with your Game. I just wanted to get a sense of him and what he's like."

The older of the two shook his head and sighed.

"Did you have fun breaking the kid's face and scaring the crap out of him though?" Jack asked as he hopped the fence, ignoring the grinding in his knees as he did so.

Daniel laughed and sat back down on his vacated seat. "Yeah, it was actually fun."

"Did you learn anything from any of this?" Jack queried as he collapsed into a chair besides his friend. "I seriously thought you were going to kill him."

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "I originally intended to kill him, but it just seemed wrong as I sat there, listening to him. Killing that little shit behind Circuit City was one thing. He was a nut and wanted a fight. Killing Josiah seemed pointless, but I didn't want him to know that. There aren't many of us old Immortals left and it just didn't seem right to kill another one of us, especially one for reasons that were thousands of years old. Besides, this gives an in with Kinsey and that snaky bastard won't know anything about it."

"You don't think he'll betray us to Kinsey do you?"

He shrugged. "Anything is possible, but I don't think so. He knows I'll come after him and he won't take the chance of exposing the existence of Immortals to Kinsey. He knows the dangers; he knows the same as the rest of us what could happen if the government and the population at large would find out about our existence. It would be easier for people to deal with the idea of aliens than the idea that there are people that can live forever among them."

Jack nodded, agreeing with Daniel. "So what now? Do we wait with anticipated breath for Josiah to call us and let us know when Kinsey is going to try and take over the SGC?"

"I don't know. I am going to go with my gut feeling and say yes. Besides, we can check with Abbott when we get back and see who is watching him. I would bet that its someone close to the Kinsey camp and we might be able to use him or her to make sure Josiah doesn't screw us over."

"You're a crafty one you know that? So other than that, what do you plan on doing now?" Jack asked, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, I was thinking of buying you a beer and then seeing what's on HBO."

"Porn. Something about desperate housewives looking for something that only the pool boy can give them."

"Oh. How in the hell do you know that and do I actually want to know?"

"There was a description of Naughty Wives Part Five on the digital guide that I saw earlier. But the beer sounds better," Jack said and stood. He offered a hand to Daniel and hauled him up off his chair.

Daniel stashed his sword in the folds of his coat and turned to follow his friend, content to have a beer with Jack, somewhat happier and lighter, knowing that he had been able to finally deal with his feelings of anger and betrayal that had festered for over three millennia. Whether or not Josiah, or Joseph as he liked to be called these days, helped them in their mini-war with Kinsey was not truly important. The fact that he could deal with his anger and emotions and not let them control him was the real victory in this surprise encounter.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

First off, apologies and excuses: I know that this is horribly late in being posted. In my defense, my computer went wonko and died once again. It took awhile to get it fixed (I am on my third hard drive btw) so that messed with things. Also, work interfered with my ability to write. State testing and state reviews came up and messed with everything. I was either too busy or too tired to write. Then the husband came home on leave and well, he wanted attention and beer. Plus I kind of massively missed him, so I spent more time with him than on the story. Finally, I got stuck on how to end this chapter. I really hit a wall here. However, thanks to my dear friend Lorilei, I was able to get back on track and rediscover the sadist side to my personality. Thank you so very much for all of the encouragement, proofing, and prodding you sent my way. You are the best! Also, thank you to everyone that has put me on a list, sent me a review, or at least took the time to read my stuff. Thank you very much; it is very much appreciated.

Now, off to work on the next chapter. Hopefully it won't take so long to get done. We shall see.

Cheers!


	19. Chapter 18

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 18

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

The General, O'Neill, and Dr. Jackson spent the next several days in committee meetings. Daniel had to sit through several interrogations about his time among the Ancients, led by Senator Kinsey. Finally, after the third haranguing by the man, Jack came very close to losing his cool and nearly yelled at the man to shut the fuck up and to go to hell on behalf of his friend. However, common sense and a gentle clearing of the throat by Hammond prevented him from totally losing it. Instead, Jack grimaced and continued to listen to Daniel repeat that he did not remember his year among the Ascended, all the while aware that Kinsey did not believe Daniel one iota.

Daniel could not help but notice, though without showing it, Josiah's presence in the meeting. The man continued to gaze upon him, taking occasional notes so it looked like he was doing something useful, but instead he sat there, gazing upon the man that should have been a long-time friend but instead someone that spared his life due to compassion and pragmatism.

Finally, when Generals Post and Jumper called a halt to the interrogation, Daniel looked relieved.

"I think Dr. Jackson has had enough Senator. I am sure that if he remembers something he will inform General Hammond," Jumper said. He was at a near breaking point himself having to listen to the Senator go on and on. It was maddening to have to sit there and endure the ranting of Kinsey, but if he wanted the funding for Project Blue Book, he had to somewhat appease the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, _damn it._

"I don't care what you think General. I am more than certain that Dr. Jackson is holding back something from us that will enable us to protect the United States. He may not be willing to tell us, but I am sure that those out at Area 51 or the NID could help him recall his lost year," the senator said, his voice oily and slick.

Daniel felt the blood drain from his face – cold shock taking over, jangling his nerves. The thought of being in the hands of a bunch of scientists, experimenting on him, delving into the darkest corners of his mind, discovering all of his secrets, finding out about his Immortality frightened him more than any opponent ever had in his entire life. Facing the giant frying pan in Czarist Russia has been less frightening that the idea of being turned into a guinea pig and him being the reason for Immortals being outed.

Jack, sitting behind his friend started to voice his objections, loudly and angrily. Thankfully, Hammond grabbed a hold of Jack and yanked him back down, telling him to shut the hell up.

Josiah also paled slightly, knowing immediately the dangers Kinsey posed to the SGC, and more importantly, to the Immortal community. He knew that it was imperative that he work with the members of SG1 and try to prevent Kinsey, or someone else like him, from finding out about Immortals.

"Senator Kinsey," Daniel said quietly, his tone belying the anger that he truly felt. "I will not allow myself to be carted off to Area 51 to be experimented upon like some sort of lab rat just because you say so. The last time checked, the Constitution is still the law of the land and you have no grounds to detain me in any way. I am not an enemy of the state and I can reassure you that if I do remember anything that will help defend this planet against the Goa'uld, General Hammond will be the first person I tell. Otherwise, you can go to hell." With that Daniel stood up, collected his belongings and stormed out of the room, the hell with protocol. A guard at the door thought about trying to stop the enraged archeologist, but decided to let him pass when he saw the fury blazing in the man's eyes.

Just before he left the room completely, he looked at the senator briefly before his eyes settled on Josiah. The two Immortals locked their gazes, each of them understanding the necessity of their positions and how they needed each other if the Immortal race were to stay out of the government's limelight.

After that, Daniel slammed the door open and strode through and allowed the heavy wooden door to crash behind him. He went a few steps further on down the hall, ignoring the inquisitive looks military personnel and civilian contractors were giving him and lean up against the plastered over cinderblock walls, trying to calm down his breathing and heart rate.

Fifteen minutes later, Hammond and Jack came out of the conference room and found their compatriot standing in the hallway, his eyes closed, lost in some sort of trance.

"Daniel?" Jack called out cautiously.

No response.

"Danny?" Jack tried again, walking closer; careful to stay at least an arm's length away and not touch the man, least he set the ancient Immortal off in the largest military instillation in the world.

"Yes Jack?" Daniel replied, sighing as he opened his eyes.

"You okay?"

"Oh, you know me – fine and dandy as usual. They aren't plotting to send me off to the Nevada desert are they?" Daniel grumbled.

"No son. They aren't," Hammond reassured his old friend. "You missed Post ripping Kinsey up one side and down the other. Apparently the General has six months left until he retires and couldn't give a damn about what Kinsey has to say. The military is not going to start experimenting on you."

"What about the NID?"

Jack shrugged. "You know how they are, bunch of sneaky bastards. However, they've been after all of us for years now. Just watch your back and keep your front door locked and security system on at home."

"Lovely. What now? Are we done yet? I really want to get back to the Mountain. I have tons of work to do and we're scheduled to go off world next week," Daniel asked, really wanting out of the mega-office building that housed the command structure of the U.S. armed forces.

"I need to stay here and finish up a few things, but I am going to send you and the Colonel back to the base. The Colonel will take over for Reynolds and I will see the both of you in about two days," Hammond pronounced. "If you want, you can take the plane we flew in on and I'll catch a commercial flight out to Colorado Springs."

"Thank you General, but Jack and I will catch our own flight. That way we can sit back and enjoy the flight and not have to worry about any conversations being interrupted," Daniel said quietly, thinking about the possibilities that Kinsey and the NID would try to listen in on him and overhear something that would be damaging.

"Very well. I will see you both back at the Mountain. Take care of you both," Hammond advised in his fatherly way, despite that one of the two men in front of him could easily be his grandfather to the _n_th degree.

"Thank you sir," Jack said and quickly hustled his friend out of the depths of the Pentagon. They managed to find someone to take them back to their hotel where they grabbed their belongings and then took a taxi to the airport over in Baltimore.

There, Daniel quickly secured two plane tickets to Colorado Springs, choosing to forego typical government arrangements and just buy the tickets himself; it wasn't like money was really an issue for him. He even splurged and up-graded to first class for the both of them. When Jack started to protest, Daniel waved him off, telling his friend that it was no big deal.

"Daniel, you don't have to do this," Jack protested, fingering his boarding pass.

"Jack, I want out of here. I want to be as far from Kinsey as possible right now. I just want to go back home to my office and play with my rocks and know that that snake isn't within striking distance," Daniel said, a tiny smile on his face.

"Ha! You said rocks," Jack crowed triumphantly. He had finally gotten Daniel to call his junk rocks.

"I called them rocks because that's what SG-15 brought back from MF4-227. Apparently there is some writing on them that they think is important," Daniel said smugly.

"Dang," Jack muttered, slightly disappointed that he didn't get one up on Daniel.

"Cheer up there. I am sure the free drinks and meal will make up for your disappointment," Daniel said, handing over his sword to the baggage handlers (he had it in a case he had purchased in DC). While it made him slightly nervous to not have his sword by his side while in public, he knew that the odds that he would run into another Immortal at thirty thousand feet was next to none.

Once the formalities were over, they made their way through the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to their gate and quickly boarded their flight. Being in first class did have some perks. However, neither of them noticed the almost non-descript man following the duo through the terminal. His only tell was a familiar tattoo on the inside of his right wrist.

Soon they were on their way back to Colorado Springs, happy to leave the mayhem of Washington politics and politicians behind them.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Back at the mountain, they resumed their normal duties, busy with translation projects, paperwork, and making sure that Earth was safe from some of the more nefarious beings in the galaxy. All four members of SG1 managed to keep themselves busy until their next scheduled off-world deployment.

The next week, SG1 was geared up, armed with P-90s, zats, and enough supplies to get them through the next five days, standing in the gate room waiting for the Stargate to finish dialing up to PX1-330. They, along with members of SG-9 were headed to a jungle world (at least that was what was the topography that was within a twenty mile radius of the Stargate according to the UVA) that contained a cave area that resembled the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, coupled with other crumbling archeological monuments that looked like they were transplanted from the subcontinent of India. The SGC was hoping that within the cave system or the surrounding ruins something could be found to help them in their fight against the Goa'uld.

The telemetry already gathered from the planet indicated that the temperature was in the upper eighties to low nineties, high humidity, and lots of bugs. On the plus side, human habitation and hostile animals were not near the target site they needed to explore.

The Gate suddenly erupted with a big blue ka-whoosh before being sucked back inwards to form the rippling blue event-horizon.

"Let's move out people. Remember to keep all hands and feet inside while the ride is in motion," O'Neill cracked to his team, who all either laughed out-loud or raised an eyebrow in amusement. The members of SG-9, except for Adam who smiled slightly, kept their faces impassive, not sure how to properly respond to the Colonel's sense of humor.

The teams found themselves on a humid, jungle world with trees and plants larger than what they were used to back in Colorado Springs. The wind was minimal, giving the surrounding growth an eerie feel to it, as if was a giant monster cleverly disguised, waiting for the right moment to explode and attack. For now though, all was quiet and the members of the SGC fanned out, looking for possible threats as Daniel quickly looked over the DHD, making note of the different symbol that was necessary to know if they wanted to go home.

Jack looked around and sighed as he took off his cap and wiped his brow. Already the heat and humidity of the planet were causing him to sweat. "According to the UVA, the ruins are five klicks north of here," he said, indicating a trail that looked to be slightly over grown with vines. "Did anyone bother to bring a machete or a flamethrower?" he asked, not liking the idea that he might have to crawl and fight his way through five kilometers of jungle.

Francis and Brennan pulled out a pair of machetes, preparing to start hacking and slashing.

"You two take rear-guard, let Adam and Daniel take the machetes," Jack pronounced. Both of the Immortals gave Jack a wry look. "What?" he asked with an air of innocence.

Daniel and Methos gave each other a long look, silently pledging that if given the chance they'd get Jack back for this.

"Just because we've got a fixation for swords, he treats us like his personal weed whackers," Danil bitched to Methos in Greek as they took the weapons from Adam's teammates.

"Bide your time grasshopper. Revenge is a dish best served cold and all that," Methos smirked as he slashed his way through thick vines, careful to stay out of Daniel's way, remembering the drawings he had in his possession (he had even went so far as to contact the artist and had her expand the piece of artistry to include all of the members of SG-1). And then there was the video. Oh his time was coming; he just needed to find the perfect moment to unleash his version of hell.

Three hours later, SG-1 and SG-9 found themselves in a clearing surrounded by a low, intricately carved building and caves that screamed ancient India. The caves, a series of overhangs and shallowly hollowed out depressions into rock faces formed the perimeter while the building looked vaguely like in style to the Virupaksha Temple in Pattadakal. A big difference was that this temple was slightly smaller than the one back on Earth; the rock was a gleaming jet black and the temple was clearly dedicated to the goddess Kali.

"Okay kids let's take a look around, Francis, you and your group take the caves and we'll check the temple. Call us if you find anything and don't touch any shiny buttons you may find," O'Neill barked out his orders, wanting to make sure the place was secure before he allowed the grave robbers of SG-1 and 9 to start going over the place with a fine-toothed comb. While there might be something valuable, he wanted to make sure there were no snakes (of the Goa'uld-type) hiding somewhere in the near vicinity.

They explored the ruins, taking note of the statues and carvings of Kali, a mother-goddess, the goddess of Time and Change, associated with the concepts of death and destruction.

They also noticed Yogini statues, supposedly created by the goddess Durga to assist in the killing of demons. Carter noted that according to her readings there appeared to be a low level power source emanating from several of the statues. Daniel, taking cursory looks at the statues that Sam indicated were showing signs of activated internal power sources, noted a combination of Sanskrit and Goa'uld writing.

"Guys, I think several of these are holding symbiotes. Not all of them, but the ones with the energy readings probably do." Daniel told the group, pushing his glasses up his nose, peering closely at the statuary, examining the writing on the figures.

"I'm not sensing anything sir, but that might not mean anything. The EM field emitted by the containers could be blocking my ability to sense the presence of a Goa'uld," Carter said, not bothering to look up from her hand-held device, staring at the screen intently.

"Lovely. So why are they here?" Jack asked, looking between the statues and his friend with perplexity, scratching his head in wonder.

"Maybe because Kali wasn't into commemorative Elvis plates," Daniel snapped, examining the writing on the figures closely. "I think these are actually Kali's enemies. They could be Tok'ra for all I know. I need Adam in here and may be together we can figure out what we are looking at. Looking at these things though, they seem familiar. I would swear that I've seen similar figures on Earth, in a museum somewhere."

"Oh boy," Jack breathed. "You mean to tell me that there might be trapped snake-head on Earth in a museum somewhere?"

"Is that not what I just said? Did I suddenly slip into a foreign language or stutter?" Daniel asked, being slightly puckish. "I want to say yes, but first I want to look more carefully at the temple and then I will have to do an internet search for any similar statuary when we get back home. Do you have any idea how many museums there are in the United States alone?"

"According to a survey conducted in 1998 by the National Conference of State Museum Associations there are approximately 15,848 museums in the United States alone," Teal'c offered, looking serenely back at the group, his face impassive while the others gaped at him.

"How, why do you know that?" Jack asked, dumbfounded.

"I have my ways O'Neill," was all Teal'c would say, enjoying every second of blindsiding his teammates.

"So what now?" Daniel asked, fairly hopping from one foot to the other, really wanting a chance to investigate the temple and surrounding areas further.

"Go see if Adam's found anything and once we make sure that the place is secure, you two can go play in your version of Chucky Cheese's," Jack said, knowing that he was going to end up either regretting the trip to the planet or bored to death; probably both actually.

It took all of Daniel's self-control to not go all seventh-grade girl on his team leader, but instead nodded and went off to find Methos and see if he had found anything of interest.

Suddenly Daniel paused before he left his teammates behind and turned around with a slightly feral look in his eyes. "Jack, I think I remember a promise you made to me awhile ago."

Jack swallowed nervously. "I make lots of promises Daniel. Which one are you referring to? Would it be the one where I promised to use coasters at your house when I set my beer down on the coffee table?"

"No," Daniel said, grinning. "Though that is a good one. I am talking about the one you made on the planet with the giant Smurfs and the whips, the one where you promised me that you'd refrain from bitching on the next archeological-type mission. I'm calling in my marker pal." At this point, Daniel was beyond grinning; he was fairly gloating

"D'oh!" Jack exclaimed, slapping himself in the forehead.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

Okay, it has been a while since I updated this story. I am really sorry that I haven't been as quick to post as I was with the first story. Real life, work, exhaustion, sickness, lack of inspiration, and my NLTZ series got in the way of finishing this chapter. I hope you will find this chapter to be satisfactory. It's not very action orientated, I know. I have my reasons and plans. /cackles gleefully/

Anyway, thank you once again to Lorilei for her continuing support, encouragement, constructive criticism, and evil plot bunnies. Woman, I hope you can appreciate the amount of post-it notes that have multiplied all over my desk because of you. I am running out of post-it notes!

Also, thank you for reading my stuff, putting the story or me on your lists; you all really know how to make a gal feel good about herself even when everything around her looks like crap and she's five seconds away from justifiable homicide.

The brief stuff about the Yogini statues came from Wikipedia and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (one of my favorite places to go). The stuff about the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters I think came from wiki at least partially, but I am probably wrong about that. I am sure I had it written down at some point, but I can't find it right now. The Virupaksha Temple in Pattadakal info (though minimal) was taken from /indiarchitecture.html; and Teal'c odd factual info came from /aboutmuseums/abc.cfm. And if you don't know, Chucky Cheese's is a pizza place for kids, complete with video games, skee-ball, a ball pit, and animatronic characters that sing. It's a hoot and a half – I had my 25th birthday there a few years back – I play a mean game of skee-ball let me tell you.

So, thanks for reading and let me ramble on. Cheers!


	20. Chapter 19

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 19

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Over the next two days, Daniel and Adam spent their time going over the cave paintings and the temple, busy translating a language that combined Sanskrit and Goa'uld. It was a challenge for them to be able to switch between the two languages and make sense of it all, but it was something that they both enjoyed immensely. The two scholars were lost in their Magical Kingdom and were as happy as three year-olds on the It's a Small World ride for the fifth time. They might be Immortals, killers, but whether or not they wanted to admit it (at least on Methos' part), they were scholars and enjoyed the thrill of learning.

Sam busied herself, with the assistance of Brennan, studying the statues and other items that appeared to contain imprisoned Goa'uld. According to the carvings that Adam had translated for her, they contained (or at least were supposed to – they wouldn't know for sure until they got the statues back to the SGC for a closer and safer examination) the enemies of Kali.

Sam tried to access the memories of Jolinar, but could not find anything that would tell her if the Goa'uld were actually Tok'ra or just members of the Goa'uld that had managed to piss the false-goddess off. She only hoped that when they got back to the SGC, they would be able to contact the Tok'ra and they would be able to tell them exactly who was imprisoned. She really hoped that her dad would be able to pay Earth a visit. It had been a long time since they had seen each other and she missed him immensely.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Adam were busy scouring the walls of the temple, busy translating the passages carved into the granite walls. Sam had told them earlier that she thought the stone was something similar to Black Galaxy granite, noting the tiny flecks of white in the material, giving it the appearance of stars against the backdrop of deep space.

"You know what," Daniel said while taking a break and getting a drink of water. He had long ago abandoned his BDU blouse and was clearly sweating through his black t-shirt.

"I know lots of things," Methos replied, keeping his eyes fixed on a section of the wall while writing furiously in a notebook.

"Ha-ha. You're hilarious. What I was going to say is that I miss deserts," Daniel said, sighing.

"It's hot in the desert too you know," Methos replied, not bothering to look at his old friend.

"I know, but at least it's a dry heat unlike the humidity of a jungle. This is disgusting," he groused, tugging on his t-shirt, hoping to get a little relief from the damp material that was clinging to his chest.

"I know what you mean. I miss Aruba, the sun, the sand," Methos mussed.

"More like the scantily clad women and the bottom-less drinks," Daniel said sarcastically.

Methos shrugged. "You can't have one without the other."

"Did I hear something about women and drinks?" Jack called out. It was his turn to check on the teams' archeology and cultural experts. "'Cause you know, that really doesn't sound too bad right now."

"Hear that," Methos replied, turning to face the leader of SG-1. "Honestly, when we get back home, I might just go throw myself in a mountain lake somewhere. I know I've been in worse places, but I am beginning to offend myself, though I think Daniel actually smells worse than me."

Jack took a tentative sniff and laughed. "I don't know, you both smell pretty bad, but then I'm no fresh flower myself. So, anything yet," he asked, leaning up against a statue that depicted Kali standing on the body of Shiva. The statue was large, but rested uneasily on a small, low pedestal.

Daniel shrugged. "Much of this is about how Kali defeated and swallowed Time – Kala, and assumed her dark formlessness. It also talks about how Kali went mad at one point and slew her foes and followers alike until Shiva threw himself under her feet. Once she realized that her husband was beneath her, she came back to her senses and the meaningless killings stopped." He carelessly gestured towards the statue that Jack was leaning upon.

"Is she dead or is there still a snake going by Kali somewhere still out there?" Jack asked, sweating as much as the other two.

Methos shrugged. "I don't know. She could be dead, but there is nothing that indicates that she isn't."

"Also, weird thing I noticed is that have any of you noticed that there isn't a significant layer of dust or cobwebs on any of the statues. It's like someone still comes around and cleans the place from time to time," Daniel mussed, looking thoughtful.

At this Jack just about fell over, but instead fell against the statue and sent it crashing to the floor. Everyone jumped back in horror, looking between Jack and the statue that now sported two less arms than it had before the accident. Its head was also broken off.

"My bad," Jack said, looking slightly apologetic.

"What has transpired O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as he, Carter, and Tracey, came running into the room.

"Oh, I think I just committed a cardinal sin in the world of archeology," Jack admitted, feeling the looks of disgust emanating from the two Immortals. "Definitely hell worthy."

Carter took in the sight of her teammate giving her commanding officer the stink-eye and did her best to not laugh. She then switched her gaze to the broken statue. Her eyes were drawn to where the arms and head had separated from the body, noticing that the inside was not solid stone as one would expect, but filled with wiring and crystal technology.

"Oh wow," was all she could say as she moved over to the broken statue, pulling out several diagnostic-type tools, a knife, a pair of pliers, and a roll of duct-tape. It was amazing how she could hold all of those things in her two hands.

"Yes MacGyver?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"I want to take a look at this," she said excitedly, already lost in her attempts to dig further into the statue. "Teal'c, give me a hand here. I think there's a seam here and if I can get it open then I can see what is going inside of this thing."

"Okay," Jack said, doing his best to not roll his eyes. "Keep me informed if you find anything, I'm going to go find Brennan and send him over here to help you. Tracey, you find Francis and continue with your patrol. Keep in radio contact."

"Yes sir," Tracey said and quickly disappeared, running off to find his teammate.

Daniel and Methos continued to work on translating the reliefs and walls, muttering quietly either to himself or each other, trying to make sense of what had been carved into the granite.

"I think this says 'all shall sleep with the pink tiger'," Methos said, squinting between his writings and the carving in front of him. "It could also say 'beware of the sleeping tiger'."

"Oh I'd definitely go with the first," Daniel said, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "That one makes so much more sense."

"Asshole."

"Takes one to know one," Daniel said automatically, not bothering to look up from his work.

By this time, Brennan came in and relieved Teal'c from having to help Major Carter, which really just involved handing her tools when asked for since they had long ago managed to pry open the statue, exposing the inner workings of the deceptively benign statue of Kali and Shiva.

"Guys," Sam eventually called out, her voice worried. "I don't think it's going to matter if the tiger is sleeping or wearing a pink tutu. This statue is a Goa'uld version of a cleverly disguised Brink's home security system and it has been activated."

"Have the authorities been alerted?" Methos asked, his voice an icy calm.

"I don't know, but if they have, I don't think we want to be around," Sam said. "Get your gear together. Sir?" she called over her radio.

"Carter," was Jack's casual reply.

"We might have some company and not of the good kind," came Sam's voice over the radio.

"Damn it!" he said before keying the mike. "Get it together people. Take what is necessary and leave the rest. Tracey, Francis, I want you two to start back to the gate. Dial it up, let command know that we may be in trouble and get back to Earth. We'll bring Brennan back with us."

"Yes sir," the other two members of SG-9 replied and followed the senior officer's orders.

In the meantime, Daniel and Methos shoved their notebooks into their packs along with their smaller tools and cameras. Quickly they shrugged into their black tactical vests, zipped them up, not bothering with their BD blouses and grabbed their weapons.

Brennan, while no stranger to combat, looked a little pale. This was his first time he had ever faced a possible engagement with the enemy alongside SG-1. He knew that the flagship team had a tendency to get into some of the worst situations imaginable and here he was with them.

_Fan-fucking-tastic_, was the only word that came to his mind at that moment.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The members of SG1 and the two remaining members of SG-9 made quick work of dismantling their camp site. The stuff that was not immediately necessary, important, or irreplaceable was gathered up and hidden back in the jungle. They covered their belongings and supplies with vines and leaves, praying that their hasty concealment would do the job.

Just as the six members of the SGC were rallying just outside of the temple, ready to make a hasty retreat back to the Stargate, several Deathgliders screamed overhead as a tel'tak suddenly appeared and ringed down several Jaffa who immediately started firing upon the Tau'ri. The teams dove for cover and began to fire their weapons, determined to kill as many of the enemy in hopes of finding a way out of the mess they were in or staving off the inevitability of them being captured.

More Jaffa appeared, either ringed down from tel'taks or having emerged from the jungle foliage, firing their staff weapons.

The Tau'ri replied in kind, the humans firing their P-90s and Teal'c used his staff weapon. The rattle of automatic weapons competed with the whomping blasts given off by the energy weapons. Dirt and shards of rock exploded everywhere, raining down on pinned down members of SG1 and SG9. It did matter how many Jaffa they killed, more appeared to take the place of the fallen.

"Sir! I'm down to my last mag!" Carter yelled at the Colonel, looking at him, separated by several yards, hiding behind a now broken statue of Kali that stood in the clearing in front of the temple.

"Daniel? How you set?" Jack yelled at the man that was beside him, both of them hunkered down behind a large rock.

"Not good!" Daniel yelled back, trying to be heard over the deafening noise. "Any longer and all I'm going to be able to do is throw my weapon at them." At that point Daniel's P-90 clicked empty. Moving with practiced swiftness, he pulled out his last magazine and reloaded his primary weapon.

Jack responded by toss one of the three remaining grenades he had upon him, hoping that would do something. They had already utilized the blocks of C-4 they had planted when they had first come to the planet as a precautionary measure. It was good to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

The grenades only served to piss off the Jaffa even more than they already were.

Eventually though they ran out of bullets and the only functioning weapon was Teal'c staff weapon.

"Defilers of the temple belonging to our Devine Mother surrender," a Jaffa called out.

Taking a quick look out from behind the rock, Jack assessed the situation facing him and his teams. He noticed that several Jaffa, with unfamiliar tattoos on their foreheads surrounding their position. They had no weapons, no guarantee that Francis and Tracey had made it back to the gate to get help (not that he was expecting any), and they were cut off from any means of escape.

"Guys," he called to his people.

All of the members of the SGC sighed heavily and carefully placed their weapons on the ground.

"We're surrendering," Jack called out, a very pissed off look marring his face.

"Who are you?" the leader of the Jaffa called out – evidently the First Prime, judging by the gold seal on his forehead.

"I'm the Great and Powerful Oz. These are my friends Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Lion," was Jack's glib reply.

"Very original O'Neill," Teal'c said, giving his friend and brother-in-arms an exasperated look.

"I thought so," Jack said, the turned all business, glaring at their captors.

"You're Tau'ri and you," the First Prime said smugly, "are the Shol'va Teal'c."

"Nice to meet you too," Daniel muttered.

"Guys," Jack said quietly to Daniel and Teal'c as they all slowly came forward with their hands raised in the galaxy-wide sign for 'I am completely and absolutely fucked.' "Got an idea on who these guys belong to?"

"I do not know O'Neill," Teal'c rumbled, looking a bit put out that they were surrendering.

"The tattoo looks like a mandala of Kali. The triangle in the middle denotes destruction and the lotus blossoms symbolize rebirth," Daniel said.

"Nice to know," Jack said snidely. "Do you happen to know anything that will get us out of this mess?"

"Not a God damn thing," Daniel replied just as snidely. It was nice to know that no matter how bad the situation could be Jack and Daniel had the ability to needle each other to no end.

All six members of the SGC were thoroughly searched, and after the typical and clichéd smirking and gloating how they, the loyal Jaffa to Kali, had finally been the ones to capture the infamous members of SG-1.

There was much shoving and manhandling as they were ringed aboard the tel'tak and thrown into a cell where they found Francis and Tracey waiting for them. The two other members of SG-9 had been caught before they were able to reach the DHD and were captured.

Needless to say, no one was in a happy mood and when they were told that they were to be taken to meet Kali, no one threw a party in celebration.

"So, does anyone have an escape plan that doesn't involve us dying?" Jack asked, looking around the group, noting the scratch marks on everyone's faces (except Daniel and Adam of course – they had only flecks of dried blood that indicated they had been injured also in the firefight). Luckily none of them had been shot.

Yet.

"I do, but it involves a jump rope, a hundred paperclips, and a lot of butter," Methos said, sliding down a far wall into a sitting position, sitting next to his teammates.

Everyone looked at him for a few seconds.

"Does anyone have a plan that is realistic and not quite so disturbing?" Jack rephrased his question.

No one could come up with something other than trying to fight their captors when the guards came to collect them.

They put up a valiant fight, even with Daniel and Adam doing their damnedest to ensure their escape, but numbers were not on their side. Their mini rebellion was quickly subdued and they were taken away as the First Prime announced their fate.

They were to be brought before Kali, the Mother Goddess, who would decide their fate. Odds were their fate would be death.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

First off, I want to reassure people who might be reading this and are Hindi and have reverence (or worship) for Kali. I mean no disrespect to you, your beliefs, or faith. I know that there are many different interpretations of Kali and what she represents to people. I am going with the idea of her being a Mother Goddess, and big on the death and destruction part (in this story she is a Goa'uld after all and not a Tok'ra so I can't really go with the kinder/nicer views of Kali). Please believe me that I am not using Kali as a way to mock someone's faith, but as a way to tell a SG-1 story.

Sources: wiki, a couple of books I have on mythology (I can't find them right now or I would properly cite them), a few odd sites, and a paper written by T.L. Kelly, "Kali as a Symbol of Transformation in Conflict Resolution," July 1998, Portland State University (used without permission, but found it quite interesting – don't sue me please).

Anyway, expect some fun times in the next chapter or two. I plan on having lots of fun with the gang and a certain goddess. Thanks for continuing to read my stuff and if you feel so inclined, leave a review and let me know what you think about it all – good or bad. It would make my day.


	21. Chapter 20

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 20

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references; also, I just discovered that Kali made an appearance in the episode "Summit." Let us all pretend that she never showed up in that episode and go about our lives. Okay? Thanks!

* * *

Daniel looked all around him, noting how the temple that they were being marched towards looked like the Lotus Mahal at Hampi. The building before him, Daniel noted, was made out of a black stone, probably the same type that was used to construct the temple they had been examining. He was also able to discern that the building was in much better condition that the one back on Earth and was clearly inhabited. There were beaded and bejeweled curtains in the windows and servants and guards were everywhere.

The people clearly looked like they had been transplanted from the Indian subcontinent. The men and women wore what looked like traditional garb of India. The women were wearing jewel colored sarees, with pavdas and coordinating cholis made out of either cotton or fine silk. Daniel assumed that the material used denoted the person's status and position in the court. The men wore dhotis, long rectangles of plain cloth tied at the waist. For shirts they wore kurtas, loose fitting plain shirts that fell below the waist. On everyone's feet, they wore leather slippers. Some were plain, meant for functionality than decoration, while others possessed slippers that were beaded with a multitude of colors and designs. What clearly separated these people from those back home were the tattoos on their foreheads. While they looked like people scooped up off the streets of India, they were clearly Jaffa.

The guards however, wore the traditional garb of Jaffa everywhere; they also looked like citizens of the sub-continent. Grey armor, grey pants, boots, and staff weapons. Clearly while Kali was more than willing to recreate an Hindi-like society, her guards were just like the Jaffa of Anubis, Baal, or any of the other bastards they had encountered over the years.

"Move," a Jaffa barked, and shoved Daniel forward, not liking how the captured Tau'ri was lagging, looking around at the surroundings. Daniel glared at the offending guard and hurried along with the rest of the group.

They walked through the arched doorway into a hallway that was covered in beautiful mosaics made out of jewels, precious stones, and tile.

"What's up with all of the swastikas?" Sam asked, looking at the walls.

"It's a symbol of good luck and predates the Nazis by thousands of years," Methos grumbled. He too was pissed. This was his first experience of being captured off-world and he was far from being happy. "Well before Hitler conceived the Nazi movement and wrote that piece of crap called Mein Kampf, the swastika was found throughout the world, from the pre-Colombian New World to China to Finland. There are many theories as to why you can find the symbol is so many places. Maybe aliens had something to do with it."

"Aliens? There's no such thing as aliens," Jack joked to cover up the tension he was feeling as the group walked down the large hallway, closer and closer to the figure sitting on a throne at the far end.

"As an alien myself, I feel offended by your denial of my existence O'Neill," Teal'c said deadpanned, eliciting several snorts of barely contained humor.

The group was marched down the hallway, approaching a throne at the far end. There was a pair of golden chairs, complete with a halo of serpents radiating from the back of the chair, sitting upon a dais. One of the chairs was empty, except for a container that looked similar, but adorned with ornaments and jewels, to the ones at the temple where they had been captured. The other chair was occupied with a being that had only been seen in paintings and murals on walls in temples on Earth.

Kali, the Mother goddess, the goddess of death and destruction, sat upon her throne, looking fierce and terrifying. Even the Immortal once known as Death blanched a bit when he got close to her.

Her skin was black. Not just dark, but jet black. Her eyes were red and filled with rage. Her hair, long and black, was disheveled. Fangs poked slightly out of her blood red mouth and her tongue lolled out of her mouth. Kali was naked except for a garland of human heads strung around her neck and a skirt made out of human arms. Four arms sprouted out of her body; two from her shoulders like most humanoids and two more appendages from on top of her shoulders. These arms were held upright, though they moved and were clearly capable of functioning. Kali, or at least the host, was clearly not of the human variety.

"Hey there gorgeous," Jack quipped, earning him a strike to the back of his legs by a Jaffa wielding a staff weapon, knocking him to his knees.

"So after all this time, I have captured the legendary SG-1. I've done what Apophis, Baal, and even Anubis could do," she gloated as she rose from her throne, looming over the members of the Tau'ri.

"Technically, we've been captured plenty of times by your fellow snakehead buddies and this time it wasn't you, it was your toadies. You really need to learn to give credit where it's due," Jack said. He couldn't help himself. There was something about being in close proximity to a Goa'uld that brought out his smartass side. He was rewarded with a blow to the head that left him seeing stars.

"Also, we're not SG-1," Brennan pointed out. "We're SG-9."

"Would you shut the hell up," Methos hissed at his teammate, not wanting to piss the Goa'uld off any more than necessary.

"You're not a part of SG-1?" Kali looked over at the four members of the other team, senseless rage filling her face.

Everyone kept quiet.

"Then they are of no worth to me," the snake hissed then turned to her First Prime who was standing to her right. "Kill them."

"No!" everyone shouted but it was futile. The Jaffa leveled his staff weapon at the four members of SG-9 and fired off four shots in rapid succession, killing them all.

Daniel, while his heart was heavy with the knowledge that the mortal members of SG-9 were dead, inside he was quaking with fear. When Methos' Quickening kicked in and started to heal him in front of the alien, questions would be raised. Questions that he did not want answered.

"So, where were we?" she jeered at SG-1.

"I was about to tell you to go fuck yourself," Jack literally spit at the Goa'uld as he shakily rose to his feet.

Kali leaped down from the dais and struck Colonel O'Neill across the face with one of her hands hard enough to knock him back down to the ground. "I am your Goddess; you will learn your place dog."

"Don't plan on staying long enough," Jack muttered, wiping away a trickle of blood coming out of his mouth.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, I have heard many tales of your heroics, including how you once had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into your brain."

"Yeah, but the Asgard removed it before it could kill me."

Kali smiled a cruel smile, all the while her tongue rolled out of her mouth. "But are you sure that they removed everything? There might be something of importance lurking in your brain and I will find it."

"Sorry, dumb as a rock here. Nothing's in my head," Jack smirked.

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged one set of arms while the other continued to wave in the air. "I am sure that you do know several other things of interest, like the defense capabilities of your planet and the codes for the iris that covers your Stargate."

"Major Samantha Carter," she then turned on Sam, "you are the former host to the traitor Jolinar of the Tok'ra. I am sure we will be spending plenty of time together."

Sam at least had enough sense to not let Kali get a visible reaction from her, though she did settle for some vicious glaring.

"Teal'c, the former First Prime of Apophis, you will be killed as an example to all Jaffa who dare to defy the will of the Gods."

Teal'c glowered at the Goa'uld. "My death will not put out the fire within all Jaffa that yearn for freedom. It will only embolden them to further defy their masters and take control of their lives."

"Not when I get through with you. You will be begging me to kill you and then I will find your son and precious Bra'tac and make you watch as I torture and kill them before I finish with you," the monster growled, pissed that despite her words, she could not get a noticeable reaction from the rebellious Jaffa.

She then moved on to her next object of hatred. "Dr. Daniel Jackson, you are the man responsible for opening Earth's Stargate, the killer of Ra, the former husband of the host of Ammonet, and a former Ascended Being. Word spread quickly of your demise but just as quickly, it was known that you returned to corporeal form. I want the information you carry about the Ancients, the Gate Builders."

Daniel shrugged. "For the record, Jack helped with the killing of Ra – go team us, however I can't help you with the knowledge thing," he said in a bored tone. "The Ancients stripped me of all of my memories of my time among the Ascended. So sorry to tell you that I'm as empty headed as Jack."

"Hey!" Jack protested.

Daniel looked slightly apologetic. "Sorry, that sounded a lot better in my mind."

Kali, glaring at the two teammates, snarled at Daniel. "I doubt what you say to be true. I'll find out," she said and looked longingly at the canopic jar that sat on the throne next to her own.

Before Daniel could fully flesh out in his mind what she was planning, he was suddenly distracted by the sensation of his Immortal warning system going off, announcing the revival of Methos. All he could do at that point was to groan and pray to whatever true god that was out there that somehow he'd wake up from this nightmare, safe and secure back on Earth in his bed.

"What is this?" Kali jumped back as Methos started to revive. "What sort of trickery is this? He was dead. Did you miss, only wounding him?" she screamed at her shocked First Prime.

"My Lady, I shot him in the chest. There is no way he could have survived a direct blast like that," Kovalan, the First Prime, exclaimed as he watched the man he had killed rise to his feet. "Could he be a god like you?"

Kali backhanded the Jaffa for daring to utter those words. "Fool! Do you not think I would feel the presence of another Goa'uld? The only one I feel is my Beloved!"

Methos coughed and looked around. "What happened?" he asked then saw his teammates dead all around him, Kali standing before him, and an incredibly annoyed look on Danil's face. "Oh," was all he could say.

"Yeah, oh," Daniel agreed, feeling a headache coming on.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The members of SG-1 and Methos were thrown into a cell further into the palace.

"Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish we've landed in," Jack groused as he and the others were bodily thrown into the cell. "Why couldn't you have put off the whole miraculous healing ability until we weren't in front of a Goa'uld?" he barked at Methos.

Methos looked annoyed. "Oh yes, I planned on dying and coming back to life in front of a snake head. In fact this morning I woke up in my tent thinking how can I best fuck up mine and everyone's lives, not to mention allow the Goa'uld to know about Immortals, therefore endangering my people's lives."

"Jack," Daniel began, mindful that his words could be over heard by Kali or her Jaffa. "They don't have much control over when they come back to life. It depends on how strong the person is and the trauma of the injury."

"Peachy, just peachy," Jack grumbled and slid down a back wall, assuming a sitting position, silently calculating the odds and possibilities of how they could escape this latest disaster.

They sat there for at least an hour, according to their watches, before anyone came for them.

"You three," the First Prime indicated O'Neill, Carter, and Teal'c by waving a zat at them, "move to the rear of the cell."

"What if I don't want to?" Jack challenged the Jaffa.

The First Prime's response was to zat him, leaving Jack convulsing on the floor. Sam and Teal'c grabbed their writhing teammate and moved to the back of the cell.

"You two," Kolvalan barked at Daniel and Methos, "on your feet."

"What if we don't want to go either," Methos snidely echoed Jack.

Daniel and Methos got zatted and were dragged off to separate parts of the palace. What awaited them ranked pretty high on their lists of things they never wanted to experience in their lengthy lifetimes.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. Please?

There isn't a lot of action in this chapter but there will be in the next one. What I want to do next will have action and this seemed to be a logical place for a break. Also, I am sorry that this took so long to get put out. Work, lack of inspiration, cleaning the house, and (again) computer issues got the best of me. My old computer is officially dead. I haven't decided if I am going to recycle it, throw it off a bridge, or go all Office Space on it. Any suggestions?

Finally, thank you to all of you that continue to read my stuff, drop me a review, or put me/the story on your lists. I truly appreciate it all and to those of you that left me a review, but no way to respond, I want to say thank you for your thoughts and kindness.

Well, the next chapter will be up before I go on vacation and I hope you will like it. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a review and make my day a bit shinier than it was before.

Cheers!


	22. Chapter 21

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 21

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and sexual references (a bit more than what I normally write, but nothing overly detailed – believe me, I blushed the entire time I wrote this chapter).

* * *

Daniel and Methos were taken to separate areas of the palace, each waiting separate fates that they could only guess at.

Methos was taken to a room that obviously used as a bedroom, though for individual with a sadistic bent to them. There was an ornately carved bed covered in fine, luxurious red and gold silk. The furniture, chairs, chests, and even the walls were intricately carved using rare and exotic woods and gold. Along with the luxurious trappings, the room was lined with shelves of whips, hand devices, shackles, and chains. There were enough torture devices present that would have even made the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory, cringe in pain and shame.

Lying on the bed, in what Methos assumed was a seductive pose (the fangs, the necklace made out of skulls, and the extra arms kind of turned him off), was Kali. What he saw up her skirt was scarier (though human-like) than any shot of Paris Hilton climbing out of a car. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and there was a dangerous gleam in her eyes that made the ancient Immortal increase his efforts to escape from the iron grips of the Jaffa that had a hold of him. While he was a skilled and deadly fighter, he couldn't get any leverage to aid him in escaping whatever fate Kali had in mind for him.

"Bring him," the Goa'uld commanded her Jaffa.

They brought him closer to her and the bed, Kali's grotesque face leering growing more and more sinister with each passing second.

When they were at the foot of the bed, Kali sat up, kneeling before him so that they were eye to eye. "Hold him still," she said as she ran her tongue across his mouth and breathing out a cloud of pheromones that enveloped his senses, leaving him helpless as a newborn kitten. His immortal healing and fortitude did not kick out the drug; his Quickening did not see the foreign invaders as something that needed to be repelled and pushed out. Methos, despite his status as an Immortal, despite that once upon a time he was feared across three continents as Death, he was still male and as subject to the power of pheromones as any other man.

In short, Methos was horny.

While it took a higher dosage than usual, within in seconds Methos' will was weakened and stopped his struggling to get away from the Goa'uld. Instead he struggled to free himself so he could get closer to the four-armed alien, wanting her, craving her touch with every fiber of his being.

"Jaffa, kree! Leave us!" Kali barked and the Jaffa hurried to comply, not wanting to anger their mistress. She then turned her attention to Methos who was doing his best to attach himself to her.

"Tell me about yourself, how is it that you can come back from death?"

With that, helpless, Methos told her about Immortals on Earth, the idea of a Quickening, and the Game. After five thousand years of keeping the secret of Immortality to himself, Methos betrayed his race and allowed an alien with a god-complex in on one of the greatest secrets on Earth.

"You mean to tell me that there are more of you? How many more are like you?" she fairly hissed in pleasure. She had the ultimate weapon against the Tau'ri and other System Lords: beings that lived forever, had power at their finger tips, and would make wonderful hosts for her and her off-spring.

"Yes, there are thousands of others like me spread throughout the world, but our numbers are small in comparison to the entire population on Earth," Methos said slowly, unable to stop himself from revealing the secrets of the Immortals.

"Wonderful favorite," she whispered in his ear, using her arms (all four of them) to disrobe him, ripping his clothes from his body. She tossed aside his torn clothing before climbing on top of him, using him to fertilize a new breed of Goa'uld, ones that would be meant to subjugate the Immortal race, ushering in her ability to seize control of the Tau'ri and push aside other Goa'uld – including even Anubis and become the supreme ruler of the galaxy, with her beloved Shiva by her side.

What they did to and with each other would even disgust the editorial board of Hustler magazine. It was creepy, vulgar, and animalistic. The sounds that filled the bed chamber were something that could give snuff films a "G" rating. Cats in heat had more finesse than the Goddess of Death and Destruction and the Immortal once known as Death had at that moment.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

While Kali's and Methos' bizarre and sickening "love" making was taking place on one side of the palace, Daniel found himself in another room on the opposite side of the palace. Instead of a bedroom, filled with silks and comfortable furniture, Daniel was placed in a nearly bare room, stripped down to his t-shirt, pants, and boots. He was shackled at the wrists and was suspended from a stone beam that ran the width of the room. His legs were also chained to the floor, making it impossible for him to move. He couldn't even scratch his nose which was beginning to itch like crazy, driving him nearly insane. Rubbing it on his shoulder helped somewhat, but 

not like a good scratching would. His predicament reminded him of his unfortunate adventures in South Dakota and the planet with the giant Smurfs.

"Motherfucking hell," Danil raged to the empty room, wondering what in the hell was happening to Methos, though his imagination offered up several scenarios, most of which made him wish for his memories to be wiped again, this time permanently.

What really worried him was either Methos getting himself killed, in a permanent way, ending his old friend's life for good or that the secret of Immortality would be revealed. There was little that scared him more than the idea that he or any Immortal would be lost forever, their Quickening wasted. However, what truly frightened him was idea that Goa'uld would learn about Immortals. If he had to weigh what scared him more, the government finding out about Immortals or the Goa'uld finding out about Immortals, the Goa'uld finding out the great secret was worse.

Danil hung there for what seemed like hours. Time seemed to drag slowly when one was strung up like a ham waiting to be cured. With each passing second his temper grew, allowing his darker side to creep to the surface. Anger seethed and bubbled beneath the surface, begging for release. It was humiliating to be chained up like an animal and his nose wouldn't quit itching!

Finally, after an eternity, the door to his prison opened. Two Jaffa entered, followed by Kali. Behind Kali came another Jaffa, this time a woman, probably a priestess, carrying an eerily familiar jar.

She looked the same as she did in the throne room, though if pressed, Danil would have sworn that she actually looked smug. Of course all Goa'uld tended to look smug, but the look was even more smug than usual.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson," Kali growled, her red eyes running all over his body.

"That's my name," Danil growled back. "Let's cut the crap. I don't remember anything about my time among the Ascended. Nothing you can do will change that. The Ancients did a very nice job at removing my memories of that time period."

"You are indeed very attractive for a human. Ammonet told me a lot about you. She wasn't lying when she said you were a fine example of the human genetics. While she clearly preferred Apophis, she said you were a delicious diversion. She also said that she loved to torment her host with your memory, letting the host know that she would never be with her beloved husband again."

Danil snarled something vicious and incomprehensible at the mention of the Goa'uld that had infested his now-dead wife. While it had been several years since her death, the love he had for Shar'ae and the hatred for Ammonet were still close to the surface. He hated the fact that Kali knew exactly what buttons to push.

Kali laughed at Danil's ineffective lunge at her, knowing that he would love to be able to attack her but couldn't. The rage she saw in him was infectious, desirable even and he was quite attractive.

"Don't worry, you will know soon what it was like for your wife," Kali smiled, running two of her hands across his chest while the others stroked his outstretched arms and head. "I have plans for you. Soon you will call me beloved."

Kali beckoned for her priestess to come forward.

Danil suddenly understood what Kali meant to do to him. He tried to pull away, get away from the Goa'uld. He couldn't. He was helpless, a prisoner with no way of escape.

"Hold his head," she told the Jaffa as she reached with one hand and opened the jar the priestess carried reverently on a red silk pillow. With another hand, she reached inside and grabbed the screaming, squirming Goa'uld.

"You will become the host of my beloved Shiva. His last host became too damaged to heal and I have been looking for someone that is worthy to carry him. Also, he will learn what you know, including the secrets of the Ancients and with him by my side, the galaxy will be mine," she bragged.

Danil snorted. "Do you really think Shiva will let _you_ dominate everything? Legend says that he is your master, the one that can control and dominate you."

"Shiva and I are one, you will learn this Tau'ri," she sneered and she walked behind him, her skirt of arms swaying nauseatingly and her necklace of skulls clinking together. "My desires are his as are his are mine."

Kali stood behind Danil, holding Shiva near the base of his skull as the Jaffa force his head down, exposing his neck further to the false goddess.

Without warning, the Goa'uld struck, burrowing into Danil's neck, invading his body, attempting to take control of the host.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

I will say that I had a fun time writing this chapter. I typed most of it up while watching the episode that introduced Hathor. So if you see similarities, blame it on watching a SG-1 marathon on the SciFi channel. As for Methos' and Daniel's fates, that it will be handled in the next chapter. I have it outlined; I just need to type it up. I only hope it doesn't disappoint. My goal is to have it out before my vacation (btw, if there is anyone out there in Paris, London, or Barcelona and would like to throw me a hint or two in a PM or email, I'd appreciate it).

Thank you Lorilei for looking over the chapter and I hope you find the industrial soap you were looking for. Also, thank you to you out there who continue to read my stuff, putting my story on their lists, and for throwing a review my way. Thank you to all.

Cheers!


	23. Chapter 22

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 22

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Danil, unable to stop himself, screamed in pain and terror as the snake entered his body. The agony was worse than anything he had ever experienced in his long life. It was worse than any form of torture he had experienced personally or had done to someone. He couldn't believe that Shar'ae, Skar'ra, and countless others had been forced to endure such agony. His mind and body felt like they were on fire, as if every nerve was being jolted.

The parasite wormed its way into his neck and began to wrap itself around the base of his spine to begin the process of taking over the host. It attached itself to the cord and the brain stem, slithering into place; its next goal was to take over the brain.

The unwilling host, Danil, was helpless, unable to do anything about this invasion of his body. Trussed up as he was, he could barely squirm in protest of this violation of his body and free will. He could only scream in pain as the Goa'uld burrowed into his neck and proceeded to wrap itself around his spinal cord.

Kali, looking on in fascination and glee as her beloved Shiva began the process of taking over a new host. Her red eyes danced with the prospect of having Shiva by her side and having access to the knowledge of the Ancients, thus beginning her domination and eventual destruction of the other System Lords.

"Cut him down," she ordered her Jaffa, not wanting her beloved to experience the sensation of being trapped. She wanted him free when he fully took control of the host.

Danil was released from his manacles and fell to the floor of the cell, landing on all fours, screaming in protest and pain.

As Kali looked on, something unexpected began to happen.

Danil's Quickening recognized the parasite as a foreign body and attacked. The blue-white energy that filled him, that made him Immortal, lashed out at the snake. The lightning struck the Goa'uld causing the parasite to abruptly release its hold on Danil's spinal cord as it seized and writhed as the energy attacked it.

Shiva, unable to help it, screamed and looked for the quickest way out of the host, desperate to escape the lightening that was attacking him. He had never encountered anything like this before with any of his previous hosts. Something was horribly wrong and he had to get out _now_!

The Goa'uld, getting struck by the painful, burning energy, burrowed its way out through the soft tissue in the back of Danil's mouth, desperate to get away from what he knew to be sure death.

Danil gagged and coughed as the Goa'uld wormed its way out of his body. Its swimmerets tore tissue; his tonsils, epiglottis, and tongue taking the brunt of the damage. He heaved violently as a dark grayish-green snake like creature, complete with four red eyes was spat out of his mouth and hit the floor with combination of a thump and a squish.

Shiva's body, though intact, was covered in electrical burns, charring the flesh, muscle, and vital organs. Death was inevitable, but how it would be delivered was not up to Fate.

Danil, ignoring Kali screaming at the top of her lungs for her beloved Shiva, snarled something incomprehensible in a language that had long ago been forgotten by just about everyone but him. He was pissed, more pissed than he had been when his student had betrayed him, more than his walk on the dark side in the Black Hills, more than any moment of his periods of insanity. His body had been violated in such a horrible way, by a parasitic monster. Only his Immortality had kept the creature from turning him into a mindless host.

While he knew that the monster would die, with or without his intervention, Danil wanted a sense of personal satisfaction at seeing Shiva dead by his own hands; he wanted to see the horror on Kali's face. From his position on his hands and knees, Danil reached out to grab the squirming creature that was flopping on the stone floor near its head. With his other hand, he grabbed the Goa'uld further on down its body and pulled with all of his might, literally ripping Shiva to pieces. With this action, by wrecking the body of the Goa'uld to the point where not even a sarcophagus could repair the damage, no one would ever be forced into being a host against their will; at least with Shiva in this case.

"No!" Kali screamed.

"Yes!" Danil snarled looking at the false-goddess from his position on the floor. "Your boy toy is dead," he taunted her, panting slightly. He's been through a lot: captured, chained up like an animal, snaked, his Quickening had just booted Shiva, and had just killed the snake in question with his bare hands. He was allowed to be a bit tired.

With a snarl, she grabbed a staff weapon from one of the Jaffa and fired it point-blank at the human, killing him instantly.

Smoke curled up from Danil's crumpled form. Burnt flesh was seen through his shredded t-shirt. His neck, no longer bleeding since he was technically dead, was damaged from where the Goa'uld entered his body. Blood was splattered across his face. Overall, he looked gory and very much dead.

With that, after she had gently picked up the remains of Shiva, Kali whirled out of the chamber, disappearing into the temple to contemplate how else she could gain some sort of satisfaction out of the death of Doctor Daniel Jackson.

Luckily, she failed to see the traces of blue-white lightening begin to heal the broken archeologist's body.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

It's short, I know. I could only drag out snaking and killing Daniel for so long. Next chapter will deal with an angry Danil, a drooling Methos, and a certain false goddess. I hope to have it out next week before I go on vacation. Reviews always help to motivate me and they also feed the plot bunnies. FEED THE PLOT BUNNIES!

I want to give a special thank you and promise of non-chocolate cookies to Lorilei. Thank you for the help with the ending and all of your helpful suggestions. I couldn't do it without you.


	24. Chapter 23

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Kali stormed through the palace, trailed by her Jaffa. Her priestess knowing that her goddess was enraged chose to make herself scarce.

She arrived back in her personal chambers, finding her pet still sitting on the bed, looking as if his mind had been completely blown away.

"What can you tell me about Daniel Jackson?" Kali demanded, grabbing the Immortal by his chin.

"Daniel?" Methos mumbled sleepily. "I remember him. He was one of the worst, a Horseman like us for awhile even. People screamed when we arrived and those that could ran away. Hades always followed Death, catching those that thought they were safe once we had finished. Blood was everywhere."

"Make sense," Kali snarled.

"Thousands of years ago, we rode across three continents, laying waste to all that stood in our way. Danil joined us for a time, going by the name of Hades," Methos mumbled, too far under Kali's pheromone-driven spell. He couldn't help himself; while he would have never let anyone, especially a Goa'uld find out about the existence of Immortals, this was far from a normal situation.

"Are you telling me that Daniel Jackson is like you?" Kali hissed.

Methos started laughing. "He's been around as long as I have, maybe longer," the Immortal snorted. "Danil is extremely hard to kill."

"Jaffa, kree!" Kali bellowed.

Her Jaffa ran into the room, prepared to do whatever their goddess commanded of them.

"Go back to the cell where the body of Daniel Jackson is and bring it to me!" she ordered, her eyes blazing with furious anger.

"Yes my lady," her First Prime said and bowed. He quickly retreated, with his fellow Jaffa following him quickly.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The Jaffa entered the cell and found nothing.

Mai'tac.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

While Kali's Jaffa were busy discovering his mysterious disappearance, Danil was wandering the halls looking for an armory. His plan was to find Jack and the others, save Methos (he had a pretty good idea what she was doing to him), and kill the fucking bitch who tried to snake him. It seemed to him that it was a pretty good plan. Of course there were the details that could get in the way: no weapon of any sort, he didn't know where the others were, Methos was probably drugged out of his mind, and the goddamn Goa'uld would be pretty hard to kill. However, little things like details had never really bothered him before. _Where there was a will there's a way_, as the cliché goes, he thought to himself.

He looked along the walls, taking note of the doors looking for familiar glyphs that would indicate that what behind the door were weapons and not more guards, slaves, or worthless junk to his cause. Finally, after making three wrong turns and a couple of near misses with the Jaffa that were clearly searching for him, he found an armory.

Danil considered the array in front of him: staff weapons, pain sticks, and zats. Ignoring the pain sticks, for they were pretty useless in his current situation, and the staff weapons. While the staff weapons would inflict massive amounts of damage upon his enemies, it would be harder to hide and a bit cumbersome while sneaking through the palace. In the end, he picked up a zat; two shots after all did kill.

Once he was armed, he slipped back out the door and did his best to find his way to the cell where the team was being held. Danil crept along the corridors, doing his best to figure out where he was and where the others were. He made it back to the main hall, staying in the shadows. Danil remembered being taken off initially by the Jaffa. They had gone down a hallway that was to the right and forced down a flight of jet stone stairs. Once there, they had been marched down a corridor and from there, thrown into a cell.

Moving silently, a skill honed by centuries upon centuries of experience and his time in the SGC, he moved from column to column, avoiding notice. While it had only taken them about a minute when they had first entered the palace to arrive in front of Kali's throne, this escapade had taken him at least half an hour or more. Danil knew that if anyone, any servant, guard, or slave were to see him, his plans of revenge and escape would be ended pretty quickly.

The first obstacle that Danil encountered was a Jaffa standing guard in front of the stairs that led downstairs to the cells. Zatting the guy twice, while praying that no one heard the noise, Danil removed the immediate threat. He dragged the body off to a side alcove and did his best to shove the body behind a statue of Kali.

Danil then paused long enough to spit on the statue. It was a petty move on his part, but his was pissed and entitled to some pettiness.

He crept down the stairs, expecting a Jaffa or someone to loom out of the shadows and jump him. A part of him, the nastier side to his personality, would have welcomed the chance to rip someone to shreds in order to release some of his anger over what had happened to him. However, he knew that getting the team and Methos out of there and killing Kali to keep the secret of Immortality safe had to take precedent.

Danil did encounter two Jaffa guarding a familiar cell and took them out with one blast a piece from the zat.

The others, hearing the commotion outside, stood up, unsure as to what was going to happen next, but praying that it was either Daniel or Methos outside the door.

The door swung open, adding a tad bit more light into the dimly lit cell. A tall figure stood in the door way with a slightly disconcerting smile on his face.

Daniel.

"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed with relief. "Where's Adam?"

"Kali has him," Danil tersely replied and backed out of the door to let the others pass freely. He bent over and picked up the Jaffas' staff weapons which he tossed to Jack and Teal'c. He then grabbed a zat off the belt of one of the stunned Jaffa and tossed it to Sam before turning his back to them, checking out the hallway once again.

The others saw a familiar and not-fully healed neck wound.

Danil was about to tell the others to hurry up and get going as he turned back around to face them, but found himself face to face with two primed staff weapons and a zat.

"I'm not a Goa'uld," he said snidely, struggling within himself to _not_ launch him-self at the others and beat them.

"Oh yeah, like we're supposed to believe that," Jack said snidely. "Back up slowly against the wall."

Danil felt Daniel pushing himself to the forefront, screaming at him to calm the fuck down.

Luckily he listened this time.

"Believe me Jack, it's me," Daniel said, his blue eyes pleading for acknowledgement.

"Why should I believe you?" Jack snapped.

"Because it's me," Daniel said, knowing how lame that sounded.

"Yeah, so what? What does that prove?"

"Why would I have broken you out if I were a Goa'uld?" Daniel said patiently.

Jack paused for a second. "Good point, but what's up with the entry wound and why are you still bleeding?"

"I got the entry wound when Kali was kind enough to decide that I would make a good host for Shiva. So thanks to her brilliant idea, she attempted to stick a snake in me. It hurt like a bitch and Sam, even though Jolinar was Tok'ra, I am so sorry that it happened to you. No one should have to go through that."

"You just said you got snaked!" Jack exclaimed, not seeing how this could possibly convince even the most mentally challenged person in the world that Daniel was not a Goa'uld.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "It didn't work. My Quickening, what makes me Immortal, attacked it. Shiva burrowed his way out of my body; I vomited him up and then proceeded to rip the body in half before Kali was kind enough to kill me with a staff weapon," he explained. "Obviously I got better. It was only a slight case of death this time."

"He sounds like Daniel," Jack remarked to his two teammates. "He's certainly sarcastic enough. Carter, do you sense the presence of a Goa'uld in him."

"No sir," Carter tersely replied, never taking her eyes off Daniel.

"How about you guys showing a little faith in me? Can't you find it in yourselves to try and believe me?"

Jack snorted. "You know I don't believe anything even if it is true!"

Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel all looked at him for a second and blinked.

"Look guys, you are just going to have to trust me on this. Immortals can't be snaked in general, but if Kali is doing what I am fairly sure she is doing with Methos, she will be creating a line of Goa'uld that will be compatible with Immortals. Imagine what Earth would be like if thousands of Immortals were turned into hosts. They would be the perfect hosts and destroy everything. Even the nicest Immortal in existence would be turned into a monster. It didn't work on me because the Goa'uld in question wasn't genetically compatible with me like he would have been with a normal human. Janet has done enough tests and experiments on me to determine that my DNA, while similar to yours, is slightly different. She then ran Siler's and then later Methos' and came to a conclusion that there is a genetic difference between regular humans and Immortals. We then had her destroy the evidence of course."

The members of SG-1 stood there for a minute, taking in all what Daniel had rattled out.

"Okay, but put one foot wrong and I will kill you dead myself," Jack said as they lowered their weapons.

"If it makes you feel any better, you can ask Kali what I did to her husband. I am sure she'll be more than happy to tell you all about it," Danil said, switching out personalities. "We have to go and find the Old Man, destroy some baby-prawns, and you get to watch as I kill that bitch for trying to snake me."

The other three members saw the sudden switch in disposition. Daniel's eyes grew harder, his voice harsher, his words more brash and foul.

What cemented their opinion was Daniel turning on the two downed Jaffa who were beginning to revive. He then fired twice per Jaffa, killing them in cold blood.

The others looked at him with some shock.

Danil shrugged. "Don't need any enemies at your back," was his response.

"Lay on McDuff," Jack said, shrugging himself, seeing the logic to Daniel's actions. "Put your Immortal bloodhound abilities to good use and find Adam. I am sure that where ever he is, Kali won't be far away."

Danil turned and looked at Jack, fingering his zat slightly. "Did you just call me a dog?"

"Hey, look at the time," Jack made a point of looking at his watch. "I think we're going to be late to the party. Let's move out."

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

They stole quietly through the passage-way, with Danil in the lead. Along the way, they found their gear and weapons. The members of DG-1 pulled on their vests and turned their radios on, using their usual frequency. If they had to separate at some point, it made sense to have a way to communicate with each other, rather than relying on luck. They were SG-1 after all and their luck tended to be notoriously bad. They took their zats and other valuable gear, but left their more conventional weapons, P-90s and side-arms behind. They were out of bullets and it made no sense to carry around worthless weapons. Daniel was also happy to have his extra knives back in his possession. He felt naked without them.

Sam did make Danil sit down for a moment and bandaged up his neck. It hadn't healed like the staff weapon had, and was still bleeding slightly. When asked about it, he told them that neck wounds didn't heal as quickly or nicely like other wounds.

After that, SG-1 had fun running from places of cover to new places of cover, hiding when patrols got too close, they made their way to the upper floor of the palace where Danil was certain where Methos was located.

They found him in the S&M bedroom from hell, buck naked, lying face down on a bed. Kali was nowhere to be seen.

As a group they ran across the room to the bed. Methos was unresponsive when they touched him but his eyes were open, he was breathing, and he had a stupid smile on his face. He had been, literally fucked, senseless

The guys rolled him over, but still, nothing.

"Ah jeez!" Sam muttered. "This is exactly why we need an all female SG team when it comes to dealing with goddamn Goa'uld queens. At least I don't have to worry about a court martial this time." After that, she proceeded to slap the crap out of him.

After the fifth blow, Danil grabbed her hand. While it had been amusing to watch Methos get slapped around by Sam, it was taking up valuable time. "Let's try this," he suggested.

In his hand was one of his hold-out knives. Danil was all prepared to stab his old friend, killing him. While he was fairly sure that it would straighten Methos out, stabbing the bastard in the heart was a bit of payback for all of the time he had stabbed him.

Just as Danil was about to strike, Teal'c primed his zat and shot the naked Immortal once.

"Come on!" Danil yelled at his friend, waving his hands for emphasis. "That is not fair! I deserve the chance to stab him for once. Fuck!"

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead," Teal'c intoned.

"Johnny Carson. Good one T," Jack said, impressed.

"Indeed O'Neill," Teal'c said, bowing slightly, a tiny smirk appearing on his face.

"What's going on? Why am I naked?" Methos moaned, holding his head with one hand and trying to pull the bed sheet over his lower half. While he was over five thousand years old and modesty was not one of his quirks, he did not want to have three men and _Sam_ standing around him while he was completely without clothes.

"What do you remember?" Jack asked, somewhat afraid of the answer.

"We were in a firefight and after that, not much. I did have the weirdest dream though," he said, feeling like his body had been run over by a pack of wild elephants.

"What was it?" Sam asked.

"It was about a gay boy named Shannon who met a genie and wished for a fur coat, a flying car, and a planet full of unicorns. Three of the unicorns were named Feathers, Cadillac, and Tom Cruise and they had adventures."

With that, everyone took a huge step back.

"Okay freaky, let's get you dressed so we can blow this popsicle stand," Jack said, more than a bit disturbed.

"I get to kill her," Danil stated. "I am not leaving until that bitch is dead."

"What are you talking about?" Methos asked as Teal'c and Sam threw his tattered pants, t-shirt, socks, and boots at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. His underwear has been shredded to pieces.

Danil had wandered over to one of the shelves and picked up a sword from a pair that looked very similar to a Dao sword of the Naga. It was a heavy blade; the metal was sharp, widening it's width to the top of the blade. If he had to make a guess the sword was probably about seventeen inches long and about three inches wide. The handle was wooden and bound with something similar to rattan. While he had never used this type of sword before, he figured he could adapt to it quickly.

"Well buddy, you died in front of Kali and managed to revive in front of her. She then carted you off to here, had her way with you, and I am fairly confident that you told Kali all about Immortals, including myself. I overheard enough conversations as I was sneaking around the god-forsaken place to know that she knows I'm not dead. Also, because you two got frisky, she's going to be able to produce a new line of Goa'uld that is capable of taking over Immortals. So, get your ass dressed so we can find her whirlpool love and burn it so she can't invade Earth with the help of the Immortal population. After that, we find Kali and I kill her."

"What'd she do to you?" Methos grunted, lacing up his boots, trying to process all that Danil had told him. His memory was coming back to him and it made him more than just a little nauseated. It made him see red and want to kill something real bad then afterwards drink him-self into a complete oblivion. _Sounds like a plan_, he told himself.

Danil would have replied but a familiar voice prevented him from replying.

"You killed my beloved Immortal. Your severed head will serve as a reminder to all that dare to oppose their goddess," Kali screamed, madness over taking her, holding two swords, similar in design to the one Danil was holding, in a double handed grip. While for most beings that would have been impossible, but Kali did have an extra set of

Danil rolled his eyes. "Told you I was Goa'uld free," he snarked at his teammates.

With that, he tossed the second sword to Methos. "Is Death up for some horse-riding?"

Methos grinned evilly and caught the blade easily. "Always."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

First off, the weird dream was not a self-insert moment (especially because I'm not a gay boy and I kind of hate unicorns – they are my school's mascot) but a reference to Planet Unicorn Heyyy! I saw it on Redeye one night and struck me as being one of the weirder things out there. You can find it on Youtube.

Secondly, Teal'c's quote was from Johnny Carson. I thought it fit and was quirky enough for the moment.

Third, Lorilei deserves credit for Sam slapping the crap out of Methos and muttering about the need for an all-female SG team. It was her idea and I loved it.

Fourth, I am going on vacation so the story will be put on hold until the end of July. I will have my notebook with me so I will still be working on the story, just without a computer handy. Don't let that dissuade you from reviewing (plus I won't actually leave until the end of this week). Someone has to feed the plot bunnies while I am gone. You don't want the plot bunnies to die do you? FEED THE PLOT BUNNIES!

Lastly, thank you for continuing to read and review my stuff. Thank you for putting me on your lists and what-not. Even if I can't get back to you as quickly as I have in the past, please know that I do appreciate you taking the time to read this story and drop me a review or two.

Cheers!

PS…Mai'tac supposedly means _damn_ in Goa'uld.


	25. Chapter 24

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 24

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

No words were exchanged between the three combatants. There was no need for shouting or useless bluster. They were beyond any sort of need for such tactics.

Kali, as odd as it looked for her to be wielding two swords with four arms, it was a study in efficiency. She dropped two of her hands, therefore only one hand on each side held a sword. The remaining hands, far from useless, she used as weapons, punching, clawing, and swiping at her attackers, doing her best to throw them off their game.

What Kali did not count on was that her two opponents were two of the oldest Immortals on Earth and expert swordsmen. Methos and Danil slashed and hacked at Kali, fueled by anger and rage (but not madness). They had both been violated in horrible ways. Their enemy knew their secret, endangering the lives of every Immortal on Earth. Death and Hades wanted her dead in a bad way

The Goa'uld queen, far from being a slouch, an impotent figurehead in her medium sized realm, could fight like a banshee from hell. She hit the pair in their heads, chests, necks, doing anything to make them stumble or falter.

They took the pain, absorbed it thanks for adrenaline and focus, and ignored each blow Kali delivered. Danil and Methos, each on opposite sides of the Goa'uld played out an intricate and deadly ballet. Blood flowed down their faces, from their noses and mouths, giving them a gory visage.

Kali managed to get a swipe in, slashing Danil across his middle; catching Methos in his thigh. Luckily neither wound was serious. They stumbled slightly but were quick to recover, going at it like they had never gone after an opponent before in all of their long years.

Meanwhile, as Danil and Methos were preoccupied with their little differences with Kali, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c watched in fascination, careful to stay out of the way of the combatants.

"Um, Sir," Carter piped up, watching her friends fight Kali, amazed at the beauty of their deadly dance. "As fascinating as it is to watch the guys host a battle royal with Kali, we do have to worry about Jaffa showing up, not to mention Adam's baby Goa'uld. We have to destroy them. Can't we just shoot them all and be done with it?"

Jack shook his head. "Remember the Shavadia?"

Carter shivered. "Like I could ever forget that nightmare," she snorted.

"Remember how you beat the crap out the Chief? Even though you didn't kill him, remember how you could have? You had the power of life and death over the man."

"I fail to see the connection here Sir," Carter said.

"The connection is that the act of facing your oppressor in battle helped you deal with everything afterwards, when we got back home. It wasn't fun, but by taking back the power he had over you, it made it easier for you to regain a sense of yourself and feeling secure."

"But they," she gestured towards the three locked in combat, "aren't looking for a chance to show Kali that they have power over her, yet show her mercy in the end. They want to kill her."

"Same principal, just with a different ending to the story," Jack disagreed. "Daniel and Methos were violated pretty badly. When Daniel had his encounter with Hathor, it wasn't fun because he didn't have a sense of closure until over a year later. For their sake, this needs to be done."

"Are you sure O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, watching the fight closely.

"Very sure. This will help them get their anger issues worked out. You heard Daniel ask Methos if he were up to some horse riding. He was referring back to their dark and homicidal days. You saw the Danil mask pop up right?"

Teal'c nodded.

"Daniel will be able to bleed off some of that anger and hopefully Methos will to. Do you really want to have to worry about dragging two homicidal mass murderers back through the gate and explaining it to the people in charge, least of all Hammond, why two members under his command have gone totally bonkers?" Jack asked.

"Indeed O'Neill, however living well is the best revenge," Teal'c quoted George Herbert.

"Yes, but revenge is a more punctual paymaster than gratitude," Jack shot back, quoting Charles Caleb Colton.

"That may be, but revenge does not long remain unrevenged," Teal'c pulled out a German proverb.

This would have continued probably indefinitely, but Carter broke in. "Guys, we have more pressing issues right now," she reminded her teammates.

Jack glared at his second-in-command for ruining his chance at out-quoting Teal'c. His next move was to pull out something really witty by George Carlin. "Okay, going on, we do have to 

destroy the baby Goa'uld. You and Teal'c find her whirlpool of love and destroy it. I'll worry about the Jaffa. Go!"

"Sir," Carter nodded and with Teal'c in the lead, they went off in search of the "whirlpool of love." Teal'c assumed that it had to be in the vicinity of Kali's bedroom, which made their search a little more realistic in finding results.

Jack, staying out of the Immortals' and Kali's way, yelled at the two. "Would it kill ya to hurry it up already?" He could hear the metallic thumping of boots on stone that indicated that Jaffa soldiers were headed their way.

Sure enough, Jaffa came running down the hall. Jack made sure he waited until he could see the proverbial whites of their eyes before starting to fire on the soldiers. He continuously fired, picking off targets, but new ones kept popping up.

"Guys I can't do this all day," Jack yelled above the blasting. "Get it over with and kill the bitch would you?"

Danil and Methos renewed their fight, their swords flashing even faster, making Kali work for every block and parry. Finally, Methos was able to get a strike in somehow and managed to cut off one of the extra arms that had been punching and grabbing at him ever since the fight had started.

Dark blood squirted everywhere, shooting out of her body like a fountain, covering Methos in the rotten smelling liquid.

Kali screamed in rage and pain, allowing Danil to take advantage of her distraction and cut off her other arm. Blood shot out of the stump that was left behind, weakening the Goa'uld even further.

Blood was everywhere, coating their faces, hair, clothing, the floor, Kali herself. It was a macabre scene that not even the Hollywood horror masters could recreate.

She continued to fight, but was clearly not able to continue the fight; her life was literally pouring out of her. Eventually she didn't have the strength to hold up her swords which fell to her sides and clattered onto the stone floor. Kali dropped to her knees, unable to stand upright anymore.

"You want it?" Methos asked Danil.

"Do you?" Danil asked.

"So I had freaky sex with an alien. I've had worse things done to me in my life. She snaked you. I got first blood out of the two of us. That gives me a bit of happiness," Methos replied.

"Don't tell me you're going all chivalrous on us now," Danil snarked. "Your time with the Highlander must have really screwed you up."

"Bite me."

"She killed your teammates," Danil reminded him.

"Guys! Just do it for Christ's sake!" Jack yelled at the two of them, exasperated.

"She's all yours," Methos smiled and backed away, letting Danil have the honors.

Danil smiles and steps over to Kali's kneeling form, running the tip of his sword across Kali's neck, ignoring the look of hatred emanating from her blood red eyes. "Even without a Quickening, I'll enjoy this," he hissed.

Raising the sword high over his head, he brought it down and across, severing the neck. The head rolled away from the crumpled body. More blood pours out of the body and the Goa'uld, badly damaged, squirms out of the head. It squeals in indecipherable rage then dies.

Kali is dead.

"A little help here guys," Jack yells.

The Immortals look over to see Jack crouched down close to the ground, using the inside of the doorway as cover, pinned down by staff fire.

Danil picked up the severed head and walked over to Jack.

"Gah!" Jack yelped when Daniel held the head a bit too close to him for his comfort.

Danil, ignoring Jack's ever so manly protests, chucked the head down the hallway like a bowling ball. "Here's your goddess. If I can kill a god, what do you think I'll do to you?"

Methos lugged the body over to the doorway and tosses it out for the Jaffa to see.

The Jaffa horrified and stunned to see their goddess beheaded, stopped firing.

Teal'c and Sam came running up, having completed their mission. Teal'c seeing the bloody figures near the door stops so abruptly, Sam ran right into his back. She bounced off and hit the floor, landing in a pool of blood.

"That is gross," she said and hopped up quickly, wiping her hands on the front of her pants. While the front of her pants weren't exactly clean, they were cleaner than her blood-soaked backside.

Teal'c eyebrows reached new heights in shock.

"So what's it going to be boys? We keep shooting at each other and I turn these two loose on you, the ones that killed Cauliflower or you can be good kids and surrender?" Jack bellowed at the Jaffa.

They could hear staff weapons hitting the floor.

Cautiously, with Daniel and Methos out in front, the team stepped into the hallway.

"Where are the bodies of my teammates?" Methos asked his voice as cold as ice.

"Jaffa, kree!" the First Prime barked and then sent three of his men off to recover the Tau'ri bodies.

Teal'c gave them his standard speech about being free of Goa'uld oppression and invited them to join the Free Jaffa movement. He didn't get much of a response. Everyone was too shell shocked at seeing their System Lord dead before them.

Jack arranged for transportation back to the Stargate. They were taken in an Al'kesh, along with the bodies of SG-12 (Methos did not want to leave them behind) to the Gate. There they dialed up a world that was friendly to them – PX5-286. From there they would go to the Alpha Site. While the Jaffa that had been loyal to Kali hadn't tried anything once the Goa'uld was dead, they didn't want to risk revealing the location of the Alpha Site to a bunch of Jaffa that when the shock wore off, could possibly seek revenge upon the Tau'ri.

Once at PX5-286, Sam quickly dialed up the Alpha Site. Methos, Daniel, and Teal'c were carrying the bodies of the deceased while Jack provided cover (you never knew, even on a friendly world).

Back at Stargate Command, they were relieved of their weapons and the bodies. Hammond met them at the base of the ramp, appalled at the site of three of his men dead and seeing Daniel and Methos carrying swords that were shoved in their belts, covered in blood.

"This is going to be one hell of a story. Go see the infirmary and we'll debrief in one hour," Hammond said, watching the five file out of the Gate room, looking like hell.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

During their post-op physicals, Janet discovered the blood soaked bandage. She peeled it off, revealing the wound that hadn't healed yet.

"What happened?" she exclaimed, dabbing at the wound with antiseptic, causing Daniel to wince in pain. While he was Immortal, that didn't make him impervious to being sore. "Why isn't your neck healed?" she asked in a whisper

"Neck wounds don't heal as quickly or as nicely as others. If you stitch it up, it will help and minimize scarring," he whispered back. Then louder, he answered her other question.

"Oh you know how it is Janet," Daniel replied tiredly. He was exhausted enough that he wasn't paying attention to his words. "We got captured by a freaky Goa'uld who wanted to turn SG1 over to the system lords as a way to earn brownie points with them. She also made herself a friend with benefits with Adam and stuck a Goa'uld symbiote in me. I guess you could call it the average SG1 milk run."

Daniel suddenly found himself looking down the barrels of several guns, all pointed at him.

He allowed the sword to be taken from him and he raised his hands in surrender. "But I got better," he finished lamely, his protests falling on deaf ears as he was quickly handcuffed and hauled off for an MRI scan to see if he was indeed possessed by a Goa'uld.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think?

Okay, yes, it has been awhile since my last posting. Vacation was great and quite the adventure. We survived with only minimal scarring (I tore up my ankle on Mt. Vesuvius and two Air France officials made me cry). While vacationing, I did manage to write up several chapters – what else are you going to do while thirty-seven thousand feet in the air and have SARS boy next to you (he was blowing his nose into his blanket – ewww!).

Thank you to everyone who continues to read and review (or at least read). Another big thank you to Lorilei for her awesome proofing, catching my mistakes. I hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations. Well, off to some more typing and watching Continuum again.

Cheers!


	26. Chapter 25

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 25

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and sexual references (there are references to rape, but nothing graphic)

* * *

The official debriefing took place an hour after Janet and her band of sadistic nurses officially declared Daniel to be snake-free. They had conducted every conceivable test known to man, jabbed him full of needles, and did two full-body scans just to make sure that there wasn't a pesky Goa'uld hiding out somewhere in his body. It was a long process that he neither appreciated or welcomed. While he knew that his word on the matter wasn't good enough, he didn't like having to hold still for so long.

The story that the team had decided upon was that the Ancients didn't want a Goa'uld to have the knowledge of the Ancients that resided in Daniel's mind, so an Ancient, maybe Oma De Sala even, used her great cosmic powers to remove it from his body. Once it was removed, Daniel killed the thing with his bare hands, which was the truth. It sounded a bit far-fetched, but considering that far-fetched pretty much described daily activity on the base since the gate was first opened the story told was believable enough.

They did tell Hammond, Janet, and Abbott the truth later, off-base. Daniel figured he owed the General and the good doctor the full and honest story. He told Abbott the truth because he owed the guy. The man was a decent Watcher, who knew the better part of valor and discretion. Thanks to Abbott, the Watchers were not making his life miserable, always poking and prodding into matters that they had best stay out of. He owed the man something; also he figured that if the program (or Immortals) ever came out of the closet, the fact that regular Goa'uld symbiotes were not compatible with Immortal physiology would be important for many to know.

When Hammond stopped yelling at him for what seemed like half an hour, the General understood and sympathized with what had happened to him and to Adam.

Adam meanwhile was busy meeting with the family members of his team. He had been granted emergency leave to attend the funerals that would be occurring. While he did not claim to be an overly sentimental person, the men of SG-9 had been his friends and co-workers. It hurt that he had lived while they had died. A part of him had wished that at least one of them had been an Immortal, so that way he wouldn't have lost all of them, but another part, a bigger part, was glad that another one hadn't been added to the insanity that was an Immortal life. In the meantime, he needed to be there when the notification officer met with the families. He owed his teammates that much.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel, coming back when they did, their timing coincided with the two days they would have had off normally and were granted an extra day of leave in addition to their normal break. Teal'c left Earth to visit with his son Rya'c. Sam said she was going out to San Diego to see her brother and his family. Jack had mentioned something about fishing, which caused the other members of SG-1 to run for the hills (or airport or Gate actually), refusing to waste their precious leave time.

Daniel, looking at the mess that was his office, taking in the full inbox, the artifacts that cluttered his desk, and the post-it notes stuck on his computer screen, decided that all of it could wait. He was going home (least he get caught by Jack and dragged along for a weekend of fishing).

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

He stopped and picked up some dinner at his local grocery store, but once at home, he only picked at it. His enthusiasm for having three days to himself had worn off the minute he had stepped through his front door. Daniel, even though he knew he would never admit it to Jack, wished he had taken his friend up on his offer. Sitting by a pond with a pole in hand while slapping at mosquitoes sounded a lot better than sitting in his quiet home, alone with only his thoughts to keep him company.

After giving up on eating, he dug around in a cabinet and found a bottle of Jack Daniels. He was pretty sure that he didn't remember buying it, figuring that it had to belong to Jack. With a promise to replace the alcohol at some point, he grabbed the bottle, not bothering with a glass, and wandered out into his living room. He threw himself onto the couch and with a moment of digging, fished the remote control out from between the cushions and flipped on the television.

Daniel sat there, drinking quietly, hoping that he had enough to give him a buzz at the very least. He wanted something to numb the pain and since the military tended to frown upon recreational drug use, even for its civilian employees, alcohol would have to do.

Finally, he settled on a movie, a horribly cheesy looking sci-fi flick: Vampires: Los Muertos starring Jon Bon Jovi and Natasha Wagner. He was hoping the alcohol and crap-taular movie would keep his mind otherwise occupied, but unfortunately his thoughts started to wander down paths he normally would rather not go.

As he sat there, thinking about the times he had hurt others, violated them, taken what was precious to them, killed them (if they were lucky) he got more and more pissed. Eventually, the rage built up to the point where he couldn't contain it any longer. Daniel took the nearly empty bottle and threw it against the wall, watching it shatter into a million shards of glass, feeling a sense of release through the act of violence.

Just then, as he was contemplating either going out and getting another bottle (or two – having extra alcohol in the house never hurt anyone) or going out and starting a bar fight for shits and giggles, there was a knock at his front door and a turning of the dead bolt.

Without even considering who it could be at the door, beyond noting that it wasn't another Immortal, opening the door with a key, Daniel wrenched the door open and grabbed the person who was attempting to violate his privacy.

Right before he was about to beat the person into a bloody pulp, a familiar voice managed to make it through his alcohol and trip down memory lane haze.

"For fuck's sake Daniel, it's me," Jack shouted at him, grabbing a hold of his friend, preparing to take him down if at all possible.

"Jack?" Daniel looked at him in surprise. "What's going on?"

"You tell me Sunny Muffin. You're the one who went all ninja-boy on me," Jack shot back, allowing Daniel to set him back on his feet. Despite the fact that he did have a couple of inches on Daniel and a few more pounds, Daniel was quite strong. _It must come from the years upon years of training and fighting for his life, beyond the daily horrors that the SGC presented them,_ he reasoned silently.

"Sorry Jack, I thought you were someone else?" Daniel said embarrassed, turning red.

"Who else would be here at this time at night, using a key to get in your place?" Jack asked, shaking his head. Moving further into the home, he noticed the mess on the wall and floor. "Having problems holding our alcohol, are we?"

Daniel sighed. "Something like that," he conceded then left to get a broom and a dust pan.

Quickly he cleaned up the mess and came back to the living room. He found Jack sitting in one of his arm chairs, watching the movie, with beer and pizza sitting on the coffee table.

"I thought you were going up to your cabin for some fishing," Daniel postulated, sitting back down on his couch, pulling a Heineken out of the box, opening it, and taking a long pull from it.

Jack shrugged. "I thought about it, but I guess my heart wasn't into it. It's a long drive and I didn't have it in me to do it. Besides, be my luck that I get half way there and I get called back to the mountain."

"Why are you here?" Daniel asked, sitting back, looking at his friend with cool, ice-blue eyes.

"I was bored and I thought you could entertain me," Jack lied. He had seen the look in Daniel's eyes. It was one of hurt pride and resentment. Jack knew, maybe better than most, that if Daniel allowed such feelings to fester, there would be acts of rage and violence that the Immortal would no doubt regret later. It wasn't a matter of Daniel being Immortal and a product of his environment and past; it was more of a matter of Daniel being human.

Daniel, knowing that Jack was lying but let it go anyway, shrugged. "I'm really not the life of the party right now."

"I see that," Jack gestured to the now-drying wet-spot on the wall. "You know Teal'c is going to have a fit if the paint gets stained. He really put a lot of thought into picking out that particular shade."

Teal'c had dragged him to Home Depot and spent considerable time going thought the different shades and hues available to them. The man spent too much time watching the Home and Garden Channel and Trading Places.

They watched the end of the movie, seeing the battle between Bon Jovi's character and the vampire lady, in silence. After that, they flipped through the channels and finally came across Cops. There was nothing else on, so they watched the prime example of trash on TV. Luckily it was the episode where the cops found a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig in an abandoned home. It provided some laughs to somewhat lighten a dark mood permeating the room. After that, they watched an episode of Futurama.

"If I needed it, would you fight off predators that wanted to eat my off-spring?" Jack asked.

"Are you asking me if I would be your schmizmar? Jack I am touched, but we all know who that person would be," Daniel said, smiling. "While I could never be the person who inspires feelings of love, I would escort your young to your pond. Besides, the idea of knocking you up by touching your hand is beyond creepy."

"True," Jack agreed. "I think I would rather fly an X-302 directly into a sun before letting something like that happen to me. And just think, you'll remember that the next time you touch my bare hand," Jack snickered evilly.

They sat there and watched the ending and credits roll. Finally, Daniel couldn't take it any longer. While he did appreciate Jack being there, he didn't want to prolong the reason behind the visit any longer.

"Okay Jack, what is it you want to get off your chest? As much as I appreciate the beer, pizza, and crap TV, what do you want? You obviously want to talk, or should I just toss you out?" He knew what Jack wanted, but he wanted to hear Jack say it for himself. He needed someone to open up that can of worms for him. It was too hard to do it by him-self. Call him a coward, but everyone had things that required help from someone else.

Jack took a deep breath before speaking. "I want to know how you are doing with everything that happened back on the evil Jungle Book world. You got yourself snaked Danny. You can't be okay with that."

Daniel sighed. "No, Jack, I am not okay with that. Having a snake stuck in me was one of the most painful and humiliating experiences in my life. I don't know how you survived having that done to you. That was horrible. I could feel it moving around, trying to take control of me. I 

can't even imagine what would have happened if Shiva had been allowed to take me over. Can you imagine how much damage an Immortal-Goa'uld would have caused?"

Jack blanched at the thought of a Goa'uld-ed Daniel running amuck about the galaxy. The man had knowledge of the Ancients stuck somewhere up in his head, along with the secrets of the SGC, and just to complicate things even more, there was that little issue of Immortals and the Game. Talk about a security nightmare.

"What really pisses me off is how violated I feel," Daniel added.

"Well, what you went through was a violation of epic proportions Daniel. There is nothing wrong with what you feel. I remember when I was snaked; I'm up to three times now, aren't I? It's not something to be enjoyed," Jack observed, looking at his friend closely, checking for signs of madness.

"It's not so much that. I'm pissed because I feel like I have no right to be as pissed as I am over being violated by a Goa'uld," Daniel said.

"Okay, I have no idea what you just said," Jack said, looking honestly confused.

"I lied to Sam and Janet when they asked if I had ever raped someone. I did, back in the day. I violated people with absolutely no thought to what it was doing to them. I think it's only fitting that I get something similar done to me," Daniel said, bitterness evident in his voice.

"Why did you lie to the gals?" Jack pressed.

"Would you admit to others, women, who trust you with their lives, that you were a rapist? They would never have looked at me again without wondering if I was going to do that to them some day," Daniel admitted.

"You admitted that you've killed people before. They know about that. They know you are a killer, yet they've accepted you in spite of it," Jack reasoned, his mind whirling at the thought of Daniel, his gentle friend, raping someone.

"Rape is different," Daniel shrugged. "Survivors have to deal with the crime everyday of their lives. It never goes away. Killing someone, the crime happens then it's over. The person that is dead no longer has to deal with after effects or consequences."

Jack shook his head, amazed that his friend could continuously surprise him with new details of his life. "Would you do something like that again?"

Daniel recoiled, looking horrified. "Gods no! That is something that I never would want to do to someone. Though, back when I had my little break with sanity, I momentarily thought about it," he admitted.

"When you were off your rocker, you were back in a more primitive state of mind, back to when it was a fight or die kind of world that you were in. You've grown since then. I wish you could see that," Jack said.

"Jack, there is a part of me that knows rationally that I'm not the same as I was when I was out of my mind, but there is another part of me that fears I could go back to being that way," Daniel admitted.

"Well, Daniel I think after Anubis being allowed to join the glow club somehow, I doubt the other Ancients would have allowed Oma to help you ascend if you were still truly a head-case. I am sure they would at least said something to her," Jack said, sitting back in his chair.

"Yeah, but," Daniel began but was hushed by Jack.

"Quiet you. Daniel, you are a good person. Accept that once and for all. You've had your moments of pissiness, but those moments were generally brought on by circumstances beyond your control. You are only human, despite your Immortality, and are entitled to have a breaking point. Even before you came to the SGC, you experienced things that were beyond horrible and once you joined up with us, before and after Abydos, you, along with the rest of us have had to endure things that no one else ever has had to deal with. If you weren't questioning your sanity now and again, that is when I would worry about you. And for your worthiness to join the Glow Club, you got kicked out because you broke some pretty important rules for helping us. I would say that you, even with your past the way it is, were too good for them and am damn glad you are back here with us lesser beings," Jack spewed, showing once and for all that he was not the moron he liked others to believe he was.

"But I still feel like crap for being pissed over being snaked," Daniel admitted.

"Yes, you fucked up big time in the past, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't feel bad about what happened with Kali. You finally learnt a lesson that was a long time in the making," Jack said.

"Maybe," Daniel agreed reluctantly.

"So did getting it all off your chest with Kali begin to start the healing process?" Jack asked absently, swirling the beer around the bottom of his bottle. "I mean, you were pretty gung-ho about it."

"Well, would you rather have had me try to talk your way out of prison and let Kali go with full knowledge of the SGC, Immortals, and a batch of baby Goa'ulds that would have been compatible with Immortal physiology?"

"No."

"So I was a bit enthusiastic about killing her," Daniel protested. "I think I was a bit justified in my actions. Also, if you noticed, once it was over, my nastier side was put back in its case and stored in the back of the shed."

"Covered in blood," Jack said, remembering the sight of his friend and Methos standing there, holding large, machete-like swords, doused in the alien's blood. "It did look a bit Horseman-ish, if you ask me."

"It did," Daniel shrugged. "The nice thing was that we got the job done without slaughtering everyone in the palace after we killed her. Back in the day, we wouldn't have stopped with Kali. She would have just been the beginning."

"See, you have grown. You two just managed to gross out the rest of us with your bowling and hurling of the body in the meantime."

"I try," Daniel said with fake modesty.

Their conversation after that drifted to something lighter and the dark cloud that Daniel had put over himself was lifted. He wasn't in a rage, throwing bottles against the wall, and condemning himself for acts that had occurred centuries ago or things that had happened when he mentally got lost. The storm had passed and clearing skies were predicted.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think?

This is later than what I was planning on. My excuses are 1) I made changes to this chapter as I was typing it up. Originally I was going to go for a lighter chapter, with more humor, but it just didn't seem to click as I was typing it up. Also, 2) I got distracted by other things (Lorilei: Sprite anyone?).

I brought up the rape thing, despite the fact that I normally do not like to use the idea of rape as part of entertainment. I don't find it to be a subject that should be used for another's amusement under any circumstance. However, I felt that because of a few things I "said" in "The Immortal Spacemonkey," that the subject could and should be touched on in this story. Also, if Danil was such a jackass during his crazy period and hung out with the Horsemen, it would have only made sense that he would have taken advantage of someone in that way. Also, if you consider the culture, rape for men wasn't always considered a crime and something accepted in certain cultures. Of course, women were held to much different standards. Since I didn't go into graphic details about it, I hope people won't be too put off by this chapter. And no, Sam and Janet will not find out about this conversation or any of the details.

The Cops episode was an actual segment from the show that had been filmed in Kansas City and the episode of Futurama was entitled "Kip Gets Knocked up a Notch," first aired January 2003. That episode is one of my favorite from the show and I just had to incorporate the idea of Jack having a schmizmar. I used Cops because it's one of those shows that I don't normally seek out to watch, but will stop and watch if I come across it.

Thanks for continuing to read my stuff and if you happen to feel the urge to leave a review behind, hint-hint, a double thank you to you! Finally, I want to give a big thank you to Lorilei for being such a great beta reader. Your sense of humor and ability to put up with me knows no bounds!


	27. Chapter 26

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 26

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

The next few months for SG1 passed by in a blur. There were missions to be had, disasters to be adverted, and a whole lot of pain, sweat and tears to be had.

It seemed as if most of the pain and sweat belonged to Daniel.

On one of the missions SG1 had undertaken his body had been hijacked by a dozen different personalities, each with their own issues. His own personality had been pushed to the back of his mind, not allowing him any sort of control. Every action, from a simple hand gesture to lunging at Janet at one point, was beyond his control. When asked later what it had been like, Daniel admitted that it had been terrifying and maddening at the same time. He hated the fact that he was forced to watch his actions from afar and not be able to do a damn thing about any of it. By the time Daniel had regained control of his mind, he was mentally exhausted from the ordeal.

Soon after his experience as being a pack horse for a bunch of dead aliens, he had been captured, tortured, and chased through the jungles of Central America. It had started off as a quick jaunt down to Honduras to look for a device created by the Goa'uld Telchak that would help the SGC in the fight against the Goa'uld. It nearly ended up a total disaster.

Originally, they had started out to find the source of the mythical "Fountain of Youth." Nicholas Ballard, an old friend from a previous life, had been obsessed with the myth and had traced the legends to Chac, the Mayan god of rain. Using a journal of Nick's in Daniel's possession, Selmac had been able to piece together where the device could be located.

Daniel and Dr. Bill Lee were sent down to retrieve the device, the root technology of a sarcophagus, and hopefully avoid any entanglements that would upset the local government. The idea was that as civilians, their presence would not ruffle too many feathers and they would be able to go places that an official representative of the U.S. government, much less a member of the military, would not be able to go. Unfortunately, things quickly spiraled out of control. They were kidnapped, after they found the device, by rebels and forced to march through miles of the jungle.

Once they reached the camp, the rebels wanted to know more about the device that the Americans were after. Daniel was first up. He and Bill had to endure being denied food and water. When that didn't work, Rafael decided that the men from the SGC need more direct persuasion. While being hooked up to a car battery, like something from a scene in Rambo, was far from being pleasant, was nowhere near as bad as being fried to death on a giant skillet. Daniel did his best to scream at the right moments, but would not break.

These guys, in Daniel's opinion, were merely children playing with a magnifying glass and ants on a cloudy day. What they were attempting was a joke.

_I guess when one has been set on fire, cooked to death, scourged, zatted, shot, mind probed by false gods, and experienced a Quickening, electrocution with a car battery is to be considered small time torture_. _I mean this is maybe an F1 at the most, _Daniel thought to himself as Rafael turned up the juice. _How in the hell did I get to a point where I developed my personal Fujita Scale for torture? Oh wait, have to remember to scream now._

He could feel the currents run through his body, the cables attached to his chest and near his groin. It hurt, but not as bad as it could have been. He screamed on cue, but refused to break.

Daniel bid his time, looking for the right opportunity to grab the device and escape with Dr. Lee. Right now was not the right time for action, but he was sure it would present itself eventually. If it had been just him or even if he had been captured with another member of SG1, he would have made a break for it but he was responsible for the safety of another, someone that did not have his training or stamina to survive in an unfamiliar jungle. That option needed to be reserved for when it was the only option available to him.

Eventually that did become their only option. The rebels took Bill and worked him over. It wasn't his fault really. The man was a scientist, not a member of a field team. He wasn't used to harsh treatment and hadn't built up a tolerance to pain. The poor man was reduced to tears and told the rebels all about the device. It didn't help that by the time they had finished with him, that Rafael and the others had been driven mad by being exposed to the device for an extended period of time.

They ran as far as they could, Daniel forcing Bill to go further than he would have been able to on his own. Eventually, Bill couldn't go on despite his best efforts. Daniel hid him and ran on, hoping to lead their captors to a spot that was advantageous towards him. Unfortunately, he got shot in the process and was cornered. The only weapon that was available to him at the time was a rock while facing down men armed with AK-47s and machetes.

While Daniel was expecting to get shot and beheaded, mentally bemoaning that finally after everything, his Quickening and life would be wasted because of the greed and insanity of a bunch of rebels, Jack and his old buddy Burke showed up to save the day. Soon after that, they were able to locate Bill, retrieve the device, and turned it off. They were on their way home.

Bill had remarked how amazing it was that Daniel's bullet wound had healed so quickly. Daniel and Jack managed to convince the scientist that since Daniel had been exposed to the Telchak device, but not long enough to be driven crazy; his healing factor had been temporarily boosted.

Janet, once they were back, insisted on digging the bullet out of his leg, re-bandaged the wound, and put him on crutches. She insisted that his medical file needed a bit of creative writing, least someone start to question his excellent health. Janet said that having concrete evidence, the bullet, would throw off any suspicion that he was anything less than one hundred percent normal. She also wanted him to take it easy on himself, to quit pushing himself. With that, she restricted him to light duty, not allowing him to go off-world.

While he resented not being allowed to resume his normal duties, though he would not have been able to go off world with the team since Sam had been hurt on the Super Soldiers world, he was able to get plenty of work done.

He busied himself by going through paperwork that he was behind on, translated artifacts that were piling up, and worked on a few projects that had been kept on the backburner for awhile.

One of those projects was a task he had set for himself and his staff as a result of the events on Kali's world and the events that led to Osirus' possession of his ex-girlfriend, Sarah. He and the others, when they were able to, were going through databases of museums across the country looking for possible artifacts that were of Goa'uld origin. It was a daunting task considering how many museums existed in the United States, not to mention the number of artifacts that they held. The nice thing was that many museums were immediately crossed off the list; it was very unlikely that they were going to find something in the Super Museum (a museum in Metropolis, Illinois dedicated to anything and everything Superman), the Ax Murder House in Villisca, Iowa, or the Sing Sing Museum in Ossining, New York related to the Goa'uld.

As daunting as the task was, it had been divided up among the staff members. When they had something they thought was worth looking at they had been directed to bring it to Daniel and then he would take a look at it.

Currently, Daniel was sitting in his office, busy translating a tablet brought back from PX1-930. It was a slow-going, tedious task, translating from an ancient Germanic dialect that had only been used by a tiny sect of the population of what would eventually become the northeast part of Bayern, into English.

"So, you find out anything good?" Jack asked from his spot on the couch, his fingers tapping out an undecipherable rhythm that only he could understand. He had previously been kicked out of Carter's lab after he accidently knocked over an upgraded version of the UAV that she had been working on for several weeks. To say that Sam was pissed was an understatement, hence he hiding.

"SG-5 managed to bring back a tablet that tells the story of a man who beat a cow to death in a field with two porcelain figurines," Daniel said tiredly, looking at the artifact with disgust.

"It was a knick-knack paddy whack," Jack said brightly, earning a groan from Daniel.

"That was bad," he told his friend, shaking his head slowly. "I just wasted an hour of my life that I will _never_ get back and you make terrible jokes. Thanks a million."

Jack rolled his eyes. "It's not like you don't have time to spare."

Daniel was about to retort with something witty, but was interrupted by the familiar sensory wash that announced the presence of another Immortal in the near vicinity.

"Daniel, Colonel," Adam said in way of greeting the pair as he breezed into the dimly lit office. "Did the tablet that SG-5 brought back have any worth?" he asked, nodding at the artifact sitting on Daniel's desk.

"No," Daniel said sullenly as he picked up the item in question and tossed it on to a near-by bookshelf, not caring if the thing made it or not. He was tired, irritated at having wasted his time and effort over a stupid story, about five seconds away from committing homicide if Jack didn't stop that incessant tapping, and out of coffee; that alone made him see red.

"Maybe this will perk you up," Adam said as he inserted a thumb drive into a port on Daniel's computer. With a few quick taps on the keyboard and jostling of the mouse, he brought up a picture of a statue.

"Looks like it was made from Magnesium Schist, from India. It's a naga, isn't it?" Daniel asked, peering at the screen. "So?"

"Look at the base," Adam suggested calmly.

"What? Oh," he said, his voice trailing off as he made out the carvings that lined the base.

Goa'uld.

The statue, roughly two feet tall, was a figure where the upper half was a man and the lower half was of a snake. The figure also had a cobra hood, showing that he was a naga, a serpent, in human form. The writing, spoke of a being referred to as Parshvanatha who had been captured and imprisoned by Kali during battle. It said that the Goa'uld had tried to overthrow Kali at one point, but was defeated and was to be held prisoner for all time as a reminder of what happens to those that oppose Kali.

"This is awfully similar to one of the statues we found back on Kali's planet," Daniel said. "Where can we find it?"

Adam smiled brightly. "You'll love this. It's on display in a museum here in the US."

"Okay. Where?" Daniel asked, looking expectantly at the Old Man.

"It's in Kansas City in the Nelson-Atkins Museum," he replied.

"Oh no," Daniel said, dismay clearly written across his face.

"What's wrong? Worried about someone touching it? It's in a museum, probably under glass, safe from the general population," Jack said, looking at his friend, noticing the pained expression on Daniel's face.

"There's that," Daniel said dismissively. "However, I know the curator there. More important, he knows me."

"Oh," Jack said, understanding flooding him. "He thinks you're a wack-job."

Daniel laughed without humor. "Yep. Dr. Reardon is one of many that think I'm nuts and as a bonus, he was even there for my ill-fated lecture. There is no way he would let me examine the statue. He'd most-likely toss me out of the museum before I could even get a word in."

"Do you have any pull with this Reardon guy," Jack asked Adam.

"I don't know him," Adam said, looking a bit let down. He had found something of interest and now it was looking like a bit of a downer.

"Okay, so it's in a museum in some cow-town. I am sure the SGC can find a reason to separate the statue from the museum. It shouldn't be a big deal," Jack said, shrugging his shoulders, refusing to let the other's pessimism infect him too.

"Jack, Kansas City is not something from out of Bonanza. They aren't a bunch of ignorant hicks. The museum is a large, modern, world-renown facility. They aren't going to accept the government swooping in, taking a fairly obscure statue. Questions will be asked that we won't be able to answer to their satisfaction. I think the last thing Hammond and everyone else in the know wants is the Stargate program being revealed to the world because of some statue," Daniel said.

"Why not steal it?" Jack asked casually.

"Because," Daniel said patiently, "the Nelson is a modern museum, complete with a very modern and high tech security system that I doubt Sam could crack without assistance and not get caught while doing it."

"There's an idea," Adam said, a wicked gleam glowing in his eyes.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"We could steal it," he said as if this was obvious to everyone.

"How? In what incarnation of your life did you live as a thief?" Jack asked.

"No! Absolutely not, not a chance in hell," Daniel said suddenly, understanding what Methos was saying.

"Why not?" Adam asked, amused.

"I don't know," Daniel said, ticking off the reasons on his fingers, "maybe because Hammond would have all of our heads on a platter if we told him. And then there is the issue of security, we could never get her cleared. Not in a million years would _that_ happen."

"We don't have to tell Hammond and she would do it without a full background. She'd look at it as a challenge," Adam said deviously.

"What makes you think that? When was the last time she ever did something blindly?"

"She owes me one, and I am sure she owes you."

Daniel thought back over the years. There was that time she got him killed when she thought it would be a lark to try and steal the jewels of Anna Gonzaga, also known as Princess Palatine and confidant of Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, back in the 1600s.

"She does owe me," Daniel agreed slowly. "Do you know where she is these days? Is she still hanging out with the Boy Scout these days, because if I have to go to Seacouver heads might roll?" Daniel couldn't believe that he was even entertaining the thought of stealing the statue and dragging Amanda into the mix. _Did I hit my head or take a Dark Quickening and nobody bothered to inform me, _he wondered to himself. _Have I finally snapped?_

"Nope, she's in Paris, hanging out with her boyfriend, Nick something or the other. Apparently they had a big falling out a few years ago over the fact that she shot him to insure he'd come back after being poisoned, as a, well, you know," Methos caught himself before he revealed too much. There were eyes and ears everywhere on the base. "That said they eventually patched things up. According to my friend in the Watchers, when I talked to him last, he's working in private security."

"Is this one of those conversations where I need to hear the details at another time or just not at all?" Jack exploded, irritated that the two were having a detail-less conversation in front of him.

"Probably," Daniel conceded.

"Who are you talking about?" Jack sighed.

"Amanda is an _old_ friend with certain talents that lurk in the area of illegal, but she's actually a decent person despite her sticky fingers and she is really good at what she does," Adam supplied.

"What she _does_?" Jack asked, wary of the answer.

"She's a jewel thief, Jack. High end B and E is something she is very good at," Daniel explained.

"So what do we do now?" Adam asked Daniel.

"I've got a few days off next week. I'll make a quick visit to the museum, check out the statue. It could be nothing after all. I don't want to rush into anything. In the meantime, contact your buddy the Watcher and find out where Amanda is these days. After my trip, we'll decide what to do next," Daniel said firmly.

Adam nodded. "I'll call Joe tonight from home. Now if you don't mind. My _boss_," he said with extra sarcasm, "has left a pile of work for me to do on my desk and actually has the audacity to expect me to get it done yesterday."

Daniel waved his hand, dismissing his old friend, laughing as he did so. "I am so glad that my staff is up-beat and has a great positive attitude," he quipped to Jack.

Adam gave him a dirty look and quickly left the office, but not before he gave Daniel the finger.

"And I am glad that your staff understands decorum and proper protocol," Jack added, laughing.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. Feed the plot bunny!

First, the statue mentioned is loosely based upon a statue found at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. It's in my hometown and I am more familiar with it than the British Museum or the Louvre. I hope people aren't going to think that this is too Mary Sue/insert self. I figured that I should use a location more familiar to myself, rather than locations that I have only been to once in my life – especially if I want to go into detail about the place and what I plan to have take place there. The Nelson, despite being located in the middle of the country, is a world class museum and is home to tons of priceless artifacts and works of art.

Secondly, I know that this is late. Work, family, and sheer exhaustion got in the way of everything that wasn't work and family. However, those things had to come first and this story, as much as I love it, was far down on my list of priorities. Now that things are a bit more settled (as of right this minute, but I am sure things will be different tomorrow), I am back at it. So, thank you for sticking with me and the story in the meantime. Your reviews (and even just reading the thing) mean a lot to me.

Third, thank you to Lorilei for her great thoughts and suggestions. It was a blast having you in town! You are a wonderful friend to have. And just remember, a tie is better than a loss! We'll have to do this again!

Lastly, yes, this part of the story is going somewhere. Amanda will soon be making an appearance and disaster will soon follow, though it won't be her fault. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I will.

Cheers!


	28. Chapter 27

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 27

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Daniel made the trip out to Kansas City and visited the museum that housed a potential Goa'uld device disguised as a work of art. While there he managed to take a few discrete pictures of the statue from multiple angles, ignoring the signs that asked people not to take pictures, and made detailed notes of the dimensions of the statue. He also, with the help of one of Sam's gadgets that she had slipped him, took several readings, determining that the statue held a Goa'uld in stasis.

Once back in Colorado Springs, he met up with Jack, off-base at a road-side diner where they would not be under constant observation.

"So, should we risk it and try and get the statue?" Jack asked munching on a plate of fries covered in ketchup.

"There is a Goa'uld in it. I can't help but think about what happened to Sarah. Some researcher could release the snake and potentially become something worse than Anubis," Daniel said, picking at his turkey burger with cheese. It had seemed like a good idea when he ordered it, but now that it was on his plate, he realized that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It tasted funny.

"So what do you want to do about it?" Jack asked.

Daniel waited until the waitress had moved on after topping off his cup of coffee. "As much as I hate to say it, our best option is to go along with what Adam suggested and steal it."

"Do we need to involve your old friend or can we do it on our own?"

Daniel shook his head. "I got a pretty good idea of the security system looking around the place and this would require a professional's touch and really the only one I would trust to help us is Amanda."

"So what now?" Jack asked, around a mouthful of French fries.

"You're disgusting," Daniel commented, wrinkling his nose in revulsion. "I'm going to get in touch with an old friend who specializes in making copies of works of art. She normally does paintings, but she can do sculptures too. She's really good at being dishonest."

"Do you know anyone that isn't a thief or a serial killer?" Jack asked in exasperation. "Why couldn't you have been friends with the Dalai Lama or an Apostle?"

"Who says I wasn't and which Dalai Lama are we talking about? There's been fourteen so far and which Apostle? There was the original twelve, plus Judas' replacement and then there was Paul," Daniel said smartly.

"You're impossible," Jack said, shaking his head.

"This is a new revelation? I thought you were declaring me impossible years ago?" Daniel joked.

"You are beyond impossible really. Anyway, what now? Once you get hold of your art buddy, what then? What about your friend Amanda?"

Daniel smiled. "Adam and I are going to Paris in a couple of weeks to get her to help."

"What if she won't help, then what?" Jack asked.

The Immortal gave his best friend an enigmatic grin. "She will. Amanda can't resist a good challenge."

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

True to his word, a few weeks later found Methos and Daniel, along with Teal'c on a flight bound for Paris. Teal'c was joining them because, according to him, he wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and view the final resting place of Napoleon.

Daniel was convinced that Jack had put the big guy up to it to keep an eye on him, not trusting him to take care of himself for an entire week all by his big-boy self. At one point he even asked Jack if he wanted to pack his suitcase for him, making sure he had enough socks and underwear with him.

Jack had replied with a comment about his ability to always land in the thick of things, that trouble had a way of finding him in the least likely of places; that he needed someone to make sure he ate and looked both ways before crossing the street.

Daniel then replied that maybe Jack would want to supervise him wiping his ass when he took a crap too; _loudly_.

This resulted in a yelling match that started in the cafeteria and continued as the pair stomped through the halls of the SGC on their way to a briefing with Hammond. Their arguing continued even as Hammond walked into the conference room. Finally, the General tired of listening to the grown men bicker like two-year-olds, yelled at the both of them, cutting their arguments off abruptly, much to the relief of Carter and Teal'c. Harriman, who had brought in a stack of files for the general, had to rush off to avoid bursting out into uncontrollable laughter. The Colonel and Dr. Jackson when they argued, while exasperating to their teammates, provided everyone else much amusement.

Daniel, Adam, and Teal'c had been given four days, including travel time, to go to Paris. They had told Hammond that they wanted to meet a freshly frocked doctorial student that Adam had known, while he was at the Sorbonne getting his doctorate, who might be a benefit to the SGC's Archeology and Linguistics department.

It wasn't a complete lie. There was a post-doctorial candidate, Henry Bilson, an American that had finished his thesis in Ancient History. He was known to be brilliant, but had a habit of looking at issues oddly, much to the frustration, and even contempt, of his peers and professors. Methos wanted Daniel to take a look at him and see if this guy was something that could benefit the SGC. Whether or not Hammond actually believed their story was another subject all together, however he did not say anything directly to them. He did give them a long and pointed look that suggested that he knew that they were up to something.

They flew first class; Teal'c insisted that there would be an air rage incident if he had to fly fifteen hours from Colorado Springs to Paris, France in coach. Daniel heartily agreed, not wanting to spend hours cramped next to someone that was incubating the Bird Flu. While he might be Immortal, he really did not want to be exposed to some guy snotting all over himself, his seat, and his in-flight blanket.

As a result, they were sitting in first class, courtesy of one of Danil's bank accounts. Daniel figured that since he did have more money than he could spend in several lifetimes, thanks to long-term investments and the liberal banking laws of several countries, he might as well spend it on the people he cared about.

Methos was with them, sitting across the aisle in seat 3C, sipping on a nice Chardonnay, watching the in-flight movie: My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Later, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Chicago were to be shown. Dinner was promised shortly. The Old Man was also happy to be sitting in first class, happy to shed the image of being a poor grad student/Watcher. Now that he was out of the Watchers, he could spend his money more freely and live in a greater level of comfort than he had when he had been with the organization.

After a hateful three hour layover at Newark and thirteen hours of flying time, the three men arrived at Charles De Gaul Airport. They collected their suitcases (and in Daniel and Methos' cases, their swords which were stored in special cases) and quickly cleared customs. When asked their purpose of visiting France, all three men said that they were there on pleasure, wanting to take in the sites of Paris.

They took the train into Paris and transferred to the Metro which then took them to the Renaissance Vendome Paris, located on the Right Bank near the Orsay Museum and the Tuileries. Daniel and Methos had seen the sites several times at various time periods in the development of the city therefore they weren't all that impressed. Teal'c however was fairly gaping at his surroundings. However, his gaping looked to an outsider as someone passively looking around, not taking much interest in the sites of the city. To Daniel and Methos, they could tell that the stoic Jaffa was fairly bursting at the seams, itching to go and explore the mythical city of Paris.

Once they had checked in, showered, and has a decent meal (the crap served on the flight in no way could be considered decent by anyone's standards), they set off for the club Amanda ran and co-owned. Joe had told his old pal, Adam, that Amanda lived above the bar and could usually be found there most nights.

They walked into the bar known as Sanctuary and immediately felt the presence of two different Immortals wash over them. Daniel and Methos paused in the doorway, their eyes searching for the location of the others, wary even though they both knew that they were on Holy Ground; the bar has been a church at one point and somehow the grounds remained consecrated.

Finally, the crowd parted and dramatically revealed Amanda in all her glory.

Five foot ten, perfect figure, legs to die for, and short bobbed platinum blonde hair, she was a vision that belonged on the cover of Vogue magazine.

"Daniele! Adam! How lovely to see the both of you," she exclaimed, crossing the room to them, kissing them on either cheek. "Joe called and told me you'd be coming by." At this point, she realized that the large black man, wearing the Kangol Tweed Peebles Cap that he had been given for his birthday by O'Neill with his hands clasped loosely behind him was with her two old friends.

"And hello to you," she said and offered her hand to the man. "And who might you be?" she asked, giving Teal'c her most charming smile.

"I am Murray," Teal'c said with a crisp half-bow, ignoring her hand.

Amanda frowned, slightly put off that this handsome man was not falling immediately under her spell.

"Lay off Amanda," Daniel said good-naturedly, knowing that the female Immortal was trying to charm the pants off his teammate. "And before you ask, yes he knows. Also, it is just Daniel Jackson these days."

"He knows?" she asked. "Since when have you gotten into the practice of letting mortals, outside of the ones you've been married to, know about you?"

"Murray here is one of the few exceptions to my rules," he explained. "We work together and it kind of came out accidentally."

"Interesting," she said a thoughtful look passing across her face. She wondered what her old friend was up to these days. They hadn't seen each other since the 1950s. Daniele looked happier than she had seen him in a long time, more relaxed and at ease with himself and the world. Amanda wondered what had happened that caused her old friend to finally chill out.

And then there was Methos. He still looked the same, Immortality aside. He still had that half-amused, half-smug look about him. She also wondered what he was up to. The last she had heard, he had abruptly left Seacouver, much to the annoyance of Duncan, about two years ago to take a teaching position at some college in the Rockies somewhere. After that, she had lost track of her _old_ friend, preoccupied by Nick and other events in her life.

She shook herself out of her revere. "Let me introduce you to Nick," Amanda said, turning on her heel, forcing the others to follow her to the back of the club or remain there standing in the doorway.

There in the rear of the club, at a back table they found the other Immortal who eyed the both of them warily even as Amanda sat down next to him. She waved to the bartender who came over and took their orders; Daniel and Methos ordered beer while Teal'c opted for juice.

"I'm Adam," Methos introduced himself to the youngster, "and this is Daniel and our friend Murray. And before you ask, yes he knows about us."

"Okay," Nick said hesitantly, still unsure about the presence of clearly older Immortals. "I'm Nick Wolfe."

"Nice to meet you," Daniel said affably. "Not to be rude Nick, but we need to talk to Amanda. We aren't here to cause trouble. It's just what we need to talk to Amanda about can only be discussed with her."

Nick's eyebrows went up slightly but shrugged indifferently. It wasn't like this was the first time Amanda's past excluded him from the conversation. He knew that despite what the others would say, if it were important Amada would tell him what was going on. "No problem. I have to be going anyways. My boss is having me guard some worthless whore of an heiress who is claiming her life is in danger due to a crazed stalker. I'm sure that it's nothing more than the celebutard's attempt to keep her name in the limelight," he said as he rose to leave the table.

"Be careful," Amanda said tenderly, smiling up at the younger Immortal.

"Always," he replied, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

Amanda snorted at that, knowing that Nick seemed to always find himself in the thick of things without even trying.

"You behave and try to stay out of trouble," Nick told her.

"Don't I always?" she deadpanned.

At that, Nick, Daniel, and Methos (beer actually came out of his nose) all snorted. Amanda looked mildly outraged at their inability to accept that she could stay out of trouble. She could, she supposed, if she really wanted to.

With that, Nick quickly departed, leaving the others behind.

Once he was gone, Amanda turned to her two old friends and their mostly silent friend. "What is going on with the both of you? What's with all of the secrecy? You two work for the CIA now?"

Daniel, Methos, and Teal'c exchanged wry looks.

"We do not work for the Central Intelligence Agency," Teal'c said gravely.

"We need someone with your skills and abilities," Daniel hedged.

Amanda looked at Daniel with some amount of amusement. "You want me to steal something. Why the secrecy? It's not like Nick doesn't know about my hobbies."

Daniel sighed as he sat down, the others joining him. "Amanda, as much as it kills me to say this, I need you to help me steal a statue of out a museum," he told her.

With this, the Immortal thief began to laugh, her voice trilling in amusement. "Why in the name of God do you need me to steal some statue for you? Was it yours at some point and now you want it back?"

"No," Daniel said.

"Then why do you want it?" she asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"It's for a project that we are working on and none of us can obtain the statue through legitimate avenues. Our only recourse it seems is to steal it and _you_ are the best at taking things that don't belong to you."

"Well, of course I'm the best," she preened. "What are you working on?"

"Why all of the questions? Once upon a time you would have jumped at the chance to steal something," Methos observed.

"I want to know why I should agree to this. Also, how do I know that you two, with the help of your friend here, aren't setting me up?"

"Would we actually set you up?" Methos asked, trying to pull an innocent look.

Amanda wasn't buying it. "Yes. I seem to recollect a few times the both of you swore to exact vengeance because some plans went south."

"This has nothing to do with the time you almost got me killed stealing the jewels belonging to Princess Palatine," Daniel said. "I think maybe you're just rusty and too scared to take on a simple B and E and barely able to pick someone's pocket. I am sure there are children with more skill than you."

That riled up her blood quickly.

"I am not rusty!" she said hotly. "I am a world-class thief and you had better not forget it! And besides, you got better."

"I got tossed into the Seine," Daniel said snidely.

"You dried out eventually and I am sure the dysentery wasn't as bad as you said it was," she retorted. "So why do you need my skills?"

Daniel shrugged. "I need someone that is experienced in high-end B and E. If you aren't up to it, I am sure I can always find someone else."

"Fine, I'm in," she said, not one to let someone think that she had become a has-been, barely registering the fact that Daniel had blatantly manipulated her, goading her into accepting a job she knew nothing about. "What is it I will be stealing and where is it? Will it just be the four of us? This had better be important."

Daniel and Methos exchanged satisfied smiles.

"This _is_ important. I swear it, Amanda," Daniel said sincerely. "I can't tell you why exactly, not without my boss' permission, but it is for a good cause. Just trust me that it is important. The statue is back in the States at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City. It will be us, plus two more people we work with."

"Here is a picture of the statue and here are the specs for the security system that they use," Methos said, pulling several folded pieces of paper out of his back pocket, handing them to his friend.

Amanda took the papers, examining them closely. "Ah," she breathed. "A Systems Galaxy 4500, very high tech indeed. That is quite impressive for something in the middle of the States. It's nice to see how a stop on a long-ago cattle drive can grow up over time. When do you want this done?"

"Not for another month or so. I am getting a copy made of the statue. We are going to take the original and put the fake in its place," Daniel explained.

"Why not just take it free and clear? Why go through the effort of making a copy?" she shrewdly asked.

"We don't want people to ask questions we can't readily answer. Even if the statue is discovered some day to be a fake, we'll be long gone," Daniel explained.

"Fine, but just so you know, this will cost you," Amanda said, leaning back in her chair, a self-satisfied smile across her face.

Daniel nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. Feed the plot bunny. Don't let it starve!

Okay, this is massively late. Work and exhaustion got in the way of a lot of things, plus I don't seem to have as much free time as I have had in the past. Also, when I do have free time I am too tired to actually do something productive. That said, I will continue to update the story, just not as frequently as I would like to until I get things a bit more under control. Please do not give up on me!

Finally, thank you to everyone who has dropped me a review, added the story or me to a list, or who just took the time to read the darn thing. I do appreciate it all. Also, thank you once again to Lorilei! Without her, I would never get anything done and I am eternally grateful to her for catching my mistakes and being a constant source of support, humor, and ideas. Thank you!


	29. Chapter 28

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 28

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Several weeks later, well after a near-disastrous mission to a planet to bring SG-13 back from P3X-666 alive where Janet had nearly been killed (though thanks to Daniel grabbing her and yanking her to the ground and taking a staff blast for her she survived her near brush with death), the replica statue was ready. Daniel's friend Felicia had out done her-self in the quality and exactness of the statue. In Daniel's opinion, only a careful examination involving carbon-dating would reveal the piece to be a fake.

"She did pretty good," Methos conceded, staring at the statue while standing in Daniel's living room, staring at the thing.

Daniel snorted. "She better have, considering how much she charged me."

Methos looked at him sideways. "I thought she was a friend," he stated.

"Yeah, so? She'd charge her own mother if she had one," Daniel replied.

"Did you ever notice that she looks an awful lot like Joan Jett?" Methos observed.

"Who?"

"You know, Joan Jett of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 'I Love Rock and Roll,' she was an original member of the Runaways? Don't tell me you missed her heyday in the early Eighties? Did all you ever do back then was stick your head in the past?" Methos looked at him with ill-concealed disgust.

"I was busy then and no, I don't remember who Joan Jett is," Daniel said huffily.

Methos shook his head, disgusted by his friend's lack of knowledge in the area of music.

"So tell me again why we have to tell Hammond about our plan? He's probably going to just say no and it will all be for nothing," the Old Man said dismissively. "Why can't we just go in, grab the thing, and then present the thing to Hammond with a bow attached."

Daniel shook his head. "I agree with you, but Jack is worried that something could go wrong and we need to be to be bailed out of jail. He doesn't want our _mission_," with this, Daniel used air-quotes to emphasis the word mission, "to go on record official in case the NID finds out about this and beats us to in. Kinsey's pissed that he didn't wrest control of the SGC away from Hammond and he would love an opportunity like this to show how incompetent we are. However, he doesn't want to surprise Hammond if things go south and we need a bail-out."

"The General is going to have a stroke," Methos said sagely.

"No he won't," Daniel insisted.

"You keep telling yourself that pal and maybe someday you'll actually believe it," Methos said snidely.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"You want to do what? Are you out of your damn minds?" Hammond roared, his face red, a vein on his temple pulsating dangerously.

Methos glanced over at Daniel, giving him an I-told-you-so look.

Jack did his best to calm his boss down, citing the problems that could arise if some researcher would accidentally release the Goa'uld. He also mentioned the threat that the NID posed.

"I don't give a rat's ass!" Hammond barked, pounding a balled up fist on the arm of Daniel's living room chair. "You two," he said looking at Daniel and Sam. "I would have thought you two were smarter than this. And Teal'c I can't believe you would go along with this. Dr. Pierson, words can't even begin to describe my feelings towards you right now. I allowed you to join this program, hoping you'd be a voice of reason among these reprobates, yet here you are, mixing it up with my so-called premier flagship team."

"Sir," Sam began, but was interrupted by Hammond.

"Can it major," he snarled. "Colonel, I can't believe you would agree to this. Have you gone through the Gate too many times and have contracted some form of Gate-travel hysteria?"

"General, with our combined powers we can pull this off and no one will be the wiser," Jack pleaded with his boss.

"We have powers?" Methos side-whispered to Daniel.

"Of course," he answered back. "Sam can confuse the crap out of anyone, Teal'c quote Star Wars too you, I can die more times than anyone, and you can out-drink just about everyone on the planet."

"What can the Colonel do?"

Daniel thought that one over. "He can piss people off. See, with our skills, this will be a piece of cake."

"I'll remember that when we are sitting in a jail cell and you're being traded for a pack of cigarettes," Methos said sarcastically.

"A pack of cigarettes? Please! You'd get passed around before me."

"With your pretty-boy looks? I don't think so."

Just then, the two Immortals noticed Jack and Hammond both looking annoyed at them.

"Do you mind?" Jack snarked at them.

Methos gestured widely, sweeping his hand in front of him. "Go ahead, be my guest."

Jack glared at them before returning to his discussion. "If we went about this through official channels, it would take even longer than this already has, we would probably get turned down because the curator thinks Danny's a whack-job, and someone like the NID would probably get the drop on us. Do we really want them to have hold of a snake?"

Hammond sighed, resigning himself to the madness that his people were proposing. He knew that if anyone else had come to him with this kind of scheme, he'd throw them out of his office and recommend a psychological evaluation. However, this was SG-1, plus Pierson, and he was more willing to grant them some leeway.

"Fine, but I don't want any of this to make it on to the news or in the paper. I will be less than pleased if I get a call in the middle of the night to come and bail you people out of jail."

Mentally, Daniel wondered how much cash it would take to post his bail.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

Two day slate, after procuring some time off, Jack, Sam, Teal'c, Daniel, and Methos piled into Jack's truck and Methos' Land Rover to head off to Kansas City.

Daniel rode with Jack, forced to listen to Jack's rendition of "Kansas City" several times before he threatened to break into Jack's home and burn all of his Simpson's tapes when they got back. Jack, who cherished his tapes, fell quiet.

For all of five minutes.

"So Danny," Jack began.

Daniel sighed, knowing instinctively where this conversation was going to go, but powerless to stop it. "Yes Jack," he replied patiently. He had hoped that somehow Jack would not pepper him with a million questions during the ten hour road trip (not including two stops in Kansas to see the world's prairie dog in Oakley, Kansas and the world's largest atomic cannon in Junction City – Teal'c ideas). He knew, however, that it was a futile thought.

"How do you think the gang is doing in Adam's car?" Jack asked.

Daniel grinned. "I told Teal'c to ask the Old Man about his foray into Rome's vomitoriums and his time in Pompeii's whore houses."

Jack glanced hack in his rearview mirror to see the Land Rover suddenly swerve on the near empty high way.

Suddenly Daniel's phone chirped to life. "Yes?" he called cheerfully, using the phone's speaker mode.

"You are such an asshole Danil!" Methos snapped. "Have you forgotten who owns your nude in repose?"

Daniel's smile faded for a second but pulled himself together. "I don't fear Death. You can't scare me."

"We'll see," Methos sneered and hung up.

Abruptly Daniel's phone rang again. It was Methos.

"We need a _z_. Name a musical group that starts with _z_."

Jack thought for a second. "The Zombies. They were semi-popular group in the sixties."

"Thank you," they heard Sam call out just before the call ended.

Jack and Daniel exchanged amused looks.

"Looks like the kids are having fun," Jack commented.

Daniel chuckled and settled back into his seat.

"So," Jack began again.

Daniel let out a sigh. "Just get it out Jack. Despite my extended life span, I don't have all eternity to tap dance around with you. You want a story, don't you?"

"Yes," Jack fairly bounced, As much as he hated it when Daniel went on about lost cultures and their ties to Earth, he equally loved to hear stories about history from someone who had actually been there. Daniel could bring history to life for him.

"Fine," Daniel said, feigning irritation. "Once upon a time there was a man named Albert Scott and he was a part of the Allied forces as they pushed towards Nazi-Germany."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. Please?

Well, not much to say here. Yes, this chapter was short, but it is a good stopping point for what I have planned for the next chapter. What I want to describe deserves its own chapter. The chapter after that will involve Jack meeting Amanda (I think). The Captain Planet bit came from watching an episode of Robot Chicken where they were mocking Captain Planet and it stuck with me. It was an insanely stupid politically correct cartoon in the 90s about environmental issues. It was one of the ultimate examples of what was wrong with cartoons in the early 90s. I remember seeing it when I babysat and it made me want to go and burn down a rainforest just for spite.

Thank you to Lorilei for being such a wonderful friend and beta. Also, thank you to you, the reader. I do appreciate you taking the time to reading my stuff and a double thank you to those who have dropped me a review. It is all appreciated.

Finally, yes Janet survived. I couldn't bring myself to kill her again. Hope that it meets with your approval.


	30. Chapter 29

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 29

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

"The first thing I noticed was the smell," Daniel began, his eyes taking on a distant look, traveling back in the past. "It was god-awful. It hung in the air, so thick you could almost see it. I would smell that smell for months after that. Even years later, every so often something, some sort of odor, will trigger that memory and I am back there."

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, confused.

"Mauthausen," Daniel replied, sighing.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

The Mauthasen-Gusen concentration camp system, located near Linz, Austria, was one of the worst of a purely evil system. The main camp, Mauthausen, was a category III camp – a special category for camps with the harshest regimen, was notoriously harsh, even for what one would expect to find in a concentration camp.

The prisoners, before 1940 were mostly Germans, Austrians, and Czechoslovakians: socialists, communists, anarchists, homosexuals, the Romani people, Bible Students and Jehovah Witnesses. After 1940, a large number of Poles entered the camp: artists, scientists, Boy Scouts, teachers, and university professors. During the war, the new arrivals were from every category of the "unwanted." The educated, political prisoners, Spanish Republicans, Soviet POWs, Dutch and Hungarian Jews, prisoners from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Allied POWs were some of the many that were chewed up and spat out of the nightmarish machine that was Mauthausen. Unfortunately, most people did not make it out of the camps alive. The Nazis were extremely good at working people to death, those that they did not shoot or gas right away.

The prisoners worked in factories and in a quarry. Most were literally worked to death. There was one really sick torture device used by the Nazis to entertain themselves: The Stairs of Death. Prisoners forced to carry blocks of stones up a hundred and eighty-six stairs at the Wiener-Graben quarry. They were narrow and steep. Many prisoners collapsed while in line on the stairs, creating a domino effect. One person collapsed and fell backwards on top of the person behind them, then that person fell on the person behind them, and on and on, creating a domino effect until the bottom of the stairs was reached.

Another sick aspect of the Mauthausen quarry was a rock wall, called "Parachute Wall" that prisoners were shoved off, dropping to their deaths. Other times, they were forced to chose among themselves who would fall to death, causing prisoners to fight each other to see who would live and who would die. In the end though, the victors were then forced over the cliff's edge, dying just like those before them.

The Nazis beat people to death; forced them to take icy showers in the middle of winter, and left them out in the cold to freeze to death. There were mass shootings, medical experiments, hangings, starvations, drowning prisoners in large water barrels, and they would throw prisoners on to the electric barbed wire fence. They also would force prisoners out of bounds then shoot them because they were "escaping." The life expectancy for a prisoner from 1940-1942, was six months; by early 1945, a prisoner would last on the average of three months.

According to some survivors' accounts, several Soviet prisoners were engaged in cannibalism; they were seen biting off chunks of the dead which were stacked outside of the barrack because coal was not available to fire up the ovens, in order to keep death at bay for them just a little while longer. Other survivors reported seeing rats gnawing on the dead, disfiguring the bodies to the point they were unrecognizable.

At first prisoners that were slated for extermination (too weak to work) were transferred to other camps to be killed in the gas chambers. By 1940, this was judged to be too expensive so a mobile gas chamber was created that could exterminate one hundred and twenty people at a time. Eventually, a more permanent gas chamber was built, to make murder a more efficient process.

Because people died so quickly or on their way to the camps, records were not as pristine as the records of other camps. It is estimated that as many as 320,000 people perished in the Mauthausen-Gusen camp system, possibly more.

Bastards.

_SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1_

"We happened to find the camp by chance. We were brought there by a representative of the Red Cross and two German soldiers on 5 May 1945. I was with the41st Recon Squad, 11th Armored Division of the US Third Army by this time. Apparently someone had taken a liking to me and transferred me in early 1945. They were in need of translators as they pushed further into Europe and I was snatched away from my old assignment. Needless to say it sucked, but I sucked it up. I didn't want to give anyone cause to take things out on me because I had spent the early part of the main invasion of Europe as a REMF," Daniel reminisced.

"The Gusen sub-camp was first liberated. We freed the prisoners and a fight broke out. Five hundred prisoners were killed by their fellow inmates. We couldn't control the prisoners and we were forced to move on. We them moved on to the main camp where the prisoners were better organized," he said quietly.

"What then?" Jack asked.

"Well, we discovered Lieutenant Jack Taylor of the OSS at the camp. Also interred there was Simon Wiesenthal, the famed Nazi-hunter. It was so surreal. We rolled into the camp area in our tanks, and these barely alive skeletons came out of their barracks, waving at us, grinning from ear to ear, cheering. I remember giving away all of my chocolate bars, but it wasn't enough. Nothing I could do was enough. There were bodies everywhere. I remember watching an American bulldozer pass back and forth several times, moving all of the bodies that were lying around, creating a mass grave in what had been the camp's soccer field. There were times where I was supposed to be translating what was being said by three or more different nationalities and I would just get lost, staring at this horrific example of man's ability to be so inhumane."

"Dear God," Jack breathed, his hands tightening on the wheel to the point where his knuckles went white. "You know, I never could figure out why you didn't get more emotional when we came to Cassandra's planet. With all of those bodies everywhere, at the time I expected you to go to pieces and you didn't. You were so detached at the time from all of it and I couldn't figure out why. Looking back, I guess after all you've seen it hardens your heart somewhat."

Daniel shook his head. "No. After everything I have seen back on Earth and out there," he waved his hand vaguely at the sky, "the only thing that gets easier is the ability to compartmentalize everything mentally and no longer be surprised at how shitty people can be. You know though, the most moving moment from Mauthausen, besides seeing Austrian citizens being forced in their Sunday best to help bury the dead, forced to touch the diseased and decaying corpses with their bare hands was upon our arrival of the main camp, a band was formed by the prisoners and they struck up the Star-Spangled Banner to greet and honor us. I have never had a moment where the national anthem brought me to tears before or after that moment."

"I guess that also explains, beyond your natural stubbornness and curiosity, you were so insistent we really look into the background of Euronda," Jack said, realizing what those people represented to Daniel. He felt ashamed of himself.

"It just seemed too perfect Jack for my likings," Daniel said, not wanting to dredge up that past near-disaster and when their friendship was on the brink of crumbling into pieces.

"What happened to the Germans that were guarding the camp? Did they escape?"

Daniel smiled a non-pleasant smile. "Some might have, but many were trapped and killed by the prisoners. There was one SS guard, a corporal, who was found hanging from the rafters. The Soviet POWs took turns throwing a kitchen knife at the body. Many of the guards were beaten to death by the prisoners. Many only had wooden shoes, but fueled by rage and exhilaration that the end had arrived, despite their frail bodies, some weighing barely eighty pounds or less, took their revenge on their captors. The Commandant of the camp, Franz Ziereis, was shot by us. He tried to escape, wearing prisoner's clothing, hoping that somehow we wouldn't notice the stark contrast between him and the real prisoners. Before he died, he made a full confession of his, and those under him, crimes. Also, after the liberation nearly three thousand of the survivors died due to a typhus epidemic. It was so sad to have these people die anyway after they had been saved. It was so hard to see that, knowing that all around me these fragile, brave people would die no matter what, while I remained physically untouched and allowed to live eternally. We were forced to douse the place and the people with DEET to kill the lice that were spreading the disease."

"So what is your response to those that deny the Holocaust?" Jack asked, looking sideways at his friend.

"Well," Daniel hedged. "I've tried reasoning with some people, referring to the well-documented evidence to hopefully convince them of the truth of what happened."

"Why am I hearing the word _but_ in that sentence?"

"One guy, after I came back to the US and took Siler on as my student, some loud-mouth, asshole redneck that was a card-carrying member of the Klan started mouthing off about how it was all a great Hoax, throwing around tons of disgusting racial slurs and the like. He never walked again. I didn't solve anything and sure as all hell didn't change his mind by breaking his back, but I just couldn't listen to that asshole preach to people, especially children about the Holocaust like that. It was so wrong." As Daniel confessed his moment of irrationality, he did so unemotionally, never letting know that there was a part of him that was ashamed of hurting someone like that nor letting Jack know that he felt a certain glimmer of pride for his actions at the same time.

"Damn," was Jack's reply.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. Please?

The information from this chapter came from several sources. I took info from: class notes; A History of Civilization; wiki; /camps/Mauthausen; /forgottencamps/camps/Mauthausen/eng.html; /mauthausen/KZMauthausen/Liberation/index.html; /history/mauthausen/mauthausencamp.htm. There was another site that told the story of the US liberators of Mauthausen. I don't remember the site, but it deserves credit. I chose Mauthausen over more "remembered" camps like Auschwitz because the US Army did not liberate Auschwitz (the Soviets did) and with what I have written earlier, Daniel had to be in the US Army. Also, the41st Recon Squad, 11th Armored Division of the US Third Army did exist and they are the ones who first encountered the camps. I pulled a lot of the imagery from their tales and other sources. I only hope I did it justice and that no one thinks I am mocking the memories of those who fought and died in WWII.

Thank you to everyone for reading my stuff and dropping me a review (hint-hint). I appreciate it all. Feed the plot bunnies, least they die! I know that this was a downer, but I hope to have a lighter tone in the next chapter or two. Again, an extra-special thank you goes out to Lorilei for finding my mistakes and making it all shiny.


	31. Chapter 30

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 30

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

They made it to Kansas City in approximately twelve hours. They would have arrived sooner, but they had to stop at the world's largest atomic cannon and the world's largest prairie dog. Also, there was a _tiny_ incident at the prairie dog site.

They arrived in Oakley, Kansas and were quickly directed to Prairie Dog Town where they each paid eight dollars. They oohhed and aahhed (and gagged a little) over the five and six-legged cows; looked upon the rattlesnake pit and all of its occupants with disgust. The mini-pigs were deemed cute and they met Roscoe the miniature donkey.

However, when they stepped behind the giant fence made out of wooden posts and sheets of plywood they were greeted by something that none of them had anticipated.

They were confronted by a fifteen foot tall, four-ton concrete prairie dog (with a baby concrete prairie dog by its side).

The owner of Prairie Dog Town was accompanying the group, giving them a personal tour since they were the only visitors at the time. He laughed at the looks on everyone's faces, especially Teal'c's.

Teal'c, not finding the sight amusing turned his patented glare upon the beefy man. "Where I am from, merchants who peddle lies are dealt with in the harshest manner possible," he growled, looking menacing.

"Look buddy, as the old adage goes: There's a sucker born every minute and I'm there to take advantage of that fact. If it makes you feel any better, you not only got to see my giant prairie dog, but you got to experience my zoo of unusual animals. That alone is worth the price of admission. You know what, I'll even give you one of my magnets for free," the owner chuckled, clearly amused by Teal'c's rancor.

Teal'c glared even more, but before he could even think about ritualistically throttling the man, the others cajoled Teal'c into leaving the man alone. Jack even went as far as promising Teal'c that he could pick the movies for the next team movie night.

Finally, they were back on the road and approximately five hours later they had arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, home of: bar-be-que, the Royals, and a mislaid Goa'uld.

They were staying at the Hyatt in Crown Center, a shopping and financial center located approximately half way between downtown and the museum that housed their missing snakehead.

As they were getting their room keys, Teal'c abruptly asked the man behind the desk if the hotel met current building codes and that there would not be a repeat of the July 17, 1981 tragedy.

The man blanched slightly and mentioned something about how the interior had been redone and that everything was in perfect order.

Finally, when the papers had been signed and everyone had received their keys Jack asked Teal'c what _that_ had been all about.

"In the summer of 1981, during a tea dance, several levels of walkways, over-crowded with people, collapsed upon the dancers below. The failure of the walkways was attributed to design flaws and cutting corners in construction. Many people died or were injured in this tragedy," Teal'c intoned solemnly.

"T, how do you know such odd and obscure facts?" Jack asked, looking at his friend oddly.

"The History Channel has a series about disasters. They profiled the Hyatt collapse," he replied. "I wished to make certain that such a tragedy does not befall us on our quest to procure the errant statuary in the local repository of art. If we were to become caught in a preventable accident, our mission will be compromised."

"You worry too much Teal'c," Jack grumbled and herded his team through the lobby, trying his best to not look up (though Teal'c's explanation of a collapse did help explain the presence of the ugly and heavy pillars supporting very plain and simple walkway in such an elegant place).

They went up to the ninth floor where their rooms were located. While Sam got her own room, Jack and Daniel became roommates, while Methos and Teal'c also were forced to bunk together. Everyone got cleaned up and dressed for dinner. Amanda, who had gotten into town a few days before, had gotten hold of Daniel earlier, gave him her room number.

As a group they went up two floors to room 1137, where Daniel and Methos felt the familiar sensation of an Immortal's presence wash over them.

Immediately the door was thrown open revealing Amanda, looking stunning as usual. Her hair, bleached out this time to an impossible-in-nature white. Her dress, a slinky, short black dress help up by two tiny straps, hugged every curve of her body, leaving little to the imagination.

"Dah-lings," Amada crooned, stepping forward to kiss Daniel and Methos on the cheek. "Come in everyone so we can get to know each other." She then took their hands and led them into the room.

Daniel and Methos exchanged exasperated looks and followed their old friend into the room, with Jack, Sam, and Teal'c bringing up the rear.

Inside, they were ushered into the sitting area that was separated from the sleeping area by an oversized desk. The room was decorated in soft blues and grays, accented by warm woodwork on the furniture and marble that eerily reminded everyone of the temple back on Kali's world.

"So, you must be Jack," Amanda turned her charms on the Colonel, adopting a foreign, cultured accent. "Daniel and Adam never told me that they worked with someone so distinguished and handsome."

Daniel made retching gestures behind her back while Methos rolled his eyes.

"I, uh, I," Jack stuttered as Amanda extended her hand, expecting him to kiss it, Old World style. Ever conscious that Sam was also present, he shook it awkwardly.

Amanda, not one to ever give up on pursuing a man, smiled at the mortal seductively, purposefully ignoring the other female in the room, "Really Colonel," she crooned, taking his arm and leading him over to one of the couches, "we need to get to know each other if we are to be working together on this mysterious heist. We should have dinner together, some wine, and maybe compare notes?"

"So Amanda, how's Nick doing?" Methos asked, widely smiling.

"Nick? Who's Nick," Sam asked, her blue eyes narrowed. She couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy. Despite the fact that she was currently seeing Pete and the tiny fact that there could never be something between her and her commanding officer, she didn't like how this gorgeous, forever-young woman was throwing herself at Jack. It irritated her.

"Nick is her boyfriend back in Paris," Daniel said smugly. "So Amanda spare us the drama and cut the crap."

"Fine," Amanda grumbled, dropping the fake accent, switching back to her normal one that seemed to originate from somewhere in Arkansas. "It's not like I was meaning anything. You two have no sense of humor."

"I do too have a sense of humor. It's not my fault that most cultures find it to be abnormal and inappropriate," Methos cheerfully, smiling widely.

"That's right. Your sense of humor allows only you to find humor in the idea of a depressed suicidal clown. Anyway, I'm hungry and Daniel, you promised to take care of my expenses. And right now, my number one expense is food. I've made reservations for the six of us at Skies. It's a bit provincial, but it will do for now," Amanda announced.

"Fine," Daniel said smartly. "And once you are done spending my money, at some point we'll be able to talk about the museum?"

"Oh Darling, you of so little faith, I've already scouted the place and managed to score a set of plans to the building, along with all of the security procedures and protocols," the female Immortal said, smiling serenely.

"How? You've been in town how long?" Sam blurted out.

Amanda gave the other woman a brilliant smile. "Dear, do not underestimate my skills in the area of breaking and entering, along with my ability to charm the pants off just about anyone. Except for Daniel of course. For the longest time I honestly thought he was gay."

"Why does everyone think I'm gay?" Daniel protested.

"Well, you know. Sometimes you're, you know," Jack said, hedging with his words, rolling his hands around in the air to help him somehow find the right words.

"Fussy," Methos offered, being ever so helpful and charming.

"Old Man, you can bite me. You too Jack," Daniel said snottily, and then turned back towards Amanda. "Thank you so much. The only reason I have been able to resist your charms is the fact that my charm is so much stronger than yours. Also, I'm a bit wiser than most of your marks and the fact that you've slept with MacLeod is a bit of a turn off."

"Are you still mad about what happened back in Paris all those years ago? I am sure that Mac hasn't even given you a thought since then," she replied.

"Oh, I am sure he's totally forgiven me for killing his friend back in the day because he doesn't carry grudges across the centuries. In fact I know for certain that in his Watcher files, he's known as MacLeod the Forgiver," Daniel snarked.

"Whatever," Amanda sighed. "Our reservations are in an hour. In the meantime, this hotel has a semi-decent bar, if you can call a sports bar a decent bar. The least you can do is buy me a drink while we wait." With that, Amanda gathered her purse and slipped her room key-card inside it and ushered everyone out and down to the bar.

"Did I just hear the words _sports bar_?" Jack asked.

"I could use a drink myself," Methos added.

Teal'c gave him a raised eyebrow kind of look. "You managed to down a miniature bottle of whiskey and two containers of beer within the first twenty minutes that we were present in the room. How could it be that you need a drink now after all that you have previously consumed?'

"Not everyone can satisfy themselves by simply stealing all of the complementary soaps and shampoos. I need alcohol. You obviously are the type that needs vanilla-citrus scented soaps, shower caps, and shoe mitts," Methos replied.

The group went downstairs and enjoyed their drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike. Dinner afterwards was also enjoyable; the food delectable.

However, they did miss the people watching them throughout the night; those pesky people with the weird tattoo on their wrists, and malevolent thoughts in their heads.

They were being smart about it, breaking up into pairs, three teams total. One was near the bar, sitting at a near-by table; one at the restaurant, also near the group; and the third currently breaking into Jack and Daniel's room, being careful not to leave any sign that they has violated their personal space.

The renegade Watchers did miss Jack's small tell that someone had been in the room: a broken toothpick shoved into the of the door jam on the outside. While they weren't in immediate danger from Goa'uld, Replicators, or other sundry enemies that SG1 had managed to gather in the past seven years, Jack's paranoia couldn't be squelched.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think. Please?

I am sorry that this is so late. My reasons are: 1) work has sucked my will to write/live out of my body (I am currently praying that I win the lottery so I can tell everyone to kiss my rear at this point and quit); 2) massive writers block. I don't know what happened, I just couldn't write anything – even writing IEPs has become a massive drag for me. Thank you to Lorilei for her prompting and "ordering" me to use my snow day to finish this chapter. Also, thank you very much for the brainstorming and help you gave me with the details.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but hopefully the next chapter will make up for it. I am currently working on it and am planning on it to be a bit snappier and jazzier – without jazz hands though.

Seriously, thank you for reading and if you feel inclined, drop me a review (suggestions for the next chapter – I think the gang will be committing B&E by then – are always appreciated. Colonel Pinky – this means you too my fellow KC citizen).


	32. Chapter 31

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 31

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

"Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish we seem to find ourselves in," Jack grumbled as he sat there on the hard floor of the museum.

"It appears O'Neill that we are up an excrement stream in a semi-permeable Native American waterway transportation device without a proper propulsion device," Teal'c added, showing his displeasure and his keen wit.

Jack snorted and looked over at Amanda, checking to see if she was any closer to freeing herself from her zip-ties (the Hunters were smart enough to know that something as simple as metal handcuffs were enough to keep the master thief down) after having been shot. Nope.

"Hey Daniel," he then called out in a whisper, trying to not draw any more unwanted attention from their captors.

"Yes Jack?" his Immortal best friend replied in a low voice from his spot in the corner closest to Jack and Teal'c, recovered nicely after also being shot.

"You remember when you told us that this would be easy and not to worry?"

Daniel sighed, hating himself for inadvertently cursing his team. "Yes Jack."

"When this is over, I'm going to beat the living shit out of you," the colonel hissed at his teammate.

"Thanks for the warning," Daniel muttered, sitting back, trying to get comfortable with his hands tightly secured by the plastic handcuffs. He thought back to how this particular chain of events had started and hated himself and the trio of renegade Watcher assholes that were plotting his and everyone's demise.

It had started out fine and dandy actually. It was weird how the best of plans and intentions could go down the tubes so quickly and land them up a shit-creek from hell.

_~SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1~_

The team, plus Methos and Amanda, spent the better part of the night going over the plans of the museum that Amanda somehow produced. When Jack started to ask how she managed to obtain the plans that included detailed information about the security system, Daniel cut him off, reminding him that sometimes certain details were best left unsaid.

Amanda, for her part, glared at her old friend, disappointed that she couldn't regale the others with a wildly spun tale about shimming her way through ventilation ducts in a skin tight outfit, lowering herself above the file cabinet where the plans were stored, avoiding laser sensors, and leaving a minimum-wage guard forever in love with her despite her fickle ways. In reality, all it took was a visit to the planning commission department at city hall to get the floor plans and a well-place bribe, through a trusted go-between, with an IT worker (the man apparently had racked up a small debt though on-line poker) at the company that provided security for the museum. The truth was not as exciting as the story she could come up with, but was denied telling it by stick-in-the-mud Daniel.

She wondered about Daniel and what he really was up to these days. Once upon a time he would have enjoyed hearing her bullshit tales, laughing at them even when he knew they were completely false. These days, however he was more disciplined, focused, possessing more of a military mind-set than before. If one looked solely at the fact that he worked for the U.S. Air Force, it would seem natural that he would take on a more militaristic persona. However, it made no sense to her why he, along with other members of the U.S. military and Methos would want to steal a work of art. _Didn't the military have more than enough things to occupy its personnel's time, she wondered silently, like a war or two?_

In the meantime, luck was somewhat on their side. A wedding reception was to be held at the museum, held in the courtyard in two days on Saturday night. This would give the group an easier opportunity to invade the building. Entering though a side entrance would be preferred to scaling the building, entering though a skylight, rappelling down, and knocking out security guards while pretending they were something out of Ocean's Eleven.

_~SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1~_

The group spent the day shopping for proper wedding clothes for Jack, who was experiencing hell on Earth. They had gone to a near-by upscale store, Halls, to find him a proper suit.

After looking at the price tags for the clothing and nearly having a heart attack, Jack tried his damnedest to get out of the role of playing Amanda's date. Unfortunately the group would not let him back out of the gig.

"Fine, but Daniel better start pulling out his wallet and pay for this! There is no way a colonel, even with hazard pay, can afford anything here," Jack demanded.

"Yes Daniel dear put a crowbar to your wallet," Amanda sang, holding up a sleeveless red matte dress that ended several inches above the knee, but was far from looking cheap and whore-ish.

Sam took a quick peek at the tags and saw that the Michael Kors dress was well over a thousand dollars. A part of her, the girl-ish part that she kept hidden from just about everyone at the SGC was massively envious that Amanda got to have a beautiful, sexy dress and wear it somewhere and she didn't. Hell, she was even more jealous over the fact that it was the Colonel that Amanda was going out with on their "date." However, it would be a cold day in hell before she would ever admit it out loud.

Jack in the meantime had been taken back into a dressing room and treated like someone's personal Ken doll, being forced to try on several suits before finally deciding on a black Versace two-button suit, with a white dress shirt and a black and silver tie. When he had the complete outfit on, with a belt and shoes, he showed it to the group, noticing the tiny smile that blossomed on Sam's face.

"You clean up nicely Sir," was all that Sam said, but it was enough for Jack.

When everything had been tallied up, including a pair of black Manolo Blahnik strappy high heels and a matching evening bag, the bill came to nearly four thousand dollars. Luckily, Daniel did have more money stashed away than many small countries and in a pinch so did Adam.

After their mad shopping blowout, the group went to a nearby restaurant. A majority of the group indicated that they would have preferred that they go to the restaurant that was partially made out of a streetcar, aptly named A Streetcar Named Desire. However, a noisy contingent demanded loudly that they instead head up to the second floor and go to the Crayola Café.

Guess which group Jack and Teal'c were a part of.

After lunch, they temporarily lost Jack. Teal'c, using his years of honed Jaffa tracking skills, was able to find their wayward Colonel in the Crayola store next to the Cafe.

"O'Neill," Teal'c rumbled, his mighty presence causing several children to freeze and watch the large man apprehensively.

"T?"

"DanielJackson and the others wish to depart post-haste and your transom perusal is preventing us from completing our mission in a timely manner."

"But I found this one hundred and fifty count telescoping tower that Cassie would love," Jack protested, turning the product over in his hands, no doubt to count the number of crayons to make sure he wasn't being cheated.

"CassandraFraiser is a teenager and would not appreciate such a present. No doubt you are claiming that you would buy it for her, but in reality it is something you would get for yourself. Now, either purchase the item or I will personally remove you from the store like a temperamental four year old," Teal'c simply stated, his eyebrow cocked in such a manner to let O'Neill know that he was not kidding.

Jack grumbled softly to himself and went to pay for his item under Teal'c's watchful eye. Once the purchase was complete, all the while Jack plotting to turn in his paperwork written in crayon just to stick it to the man, the two men rejoined the group and made plans for their next move.

They decided to go over to the museum and check out the place, so that way all of them would be familiar with the layout of the place in case anything unexpected happened; not that they expected anything to happen. But still…

_~SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1~_

The group split up; Jack, Carter, and Amanda forming one group, while Daniel, Teal'c, and Methos went off on their own.

As they walked away, the others overheard Methos asking the others "would you rather be known as a member of the Scooby gang or a Goonie?"

Teal'c ever the consumer of pop culture replied, "Goonies never say die and the Scoobies were nymphomaniac potheads. This is not a matter that will take deep thought to decide upon."

Daniel scrubbed at his eyes, already feeling a headache forming.

_~SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1~_

They wandered around, taking in the extensive medieval painting collection, the center panel of Monet's Water Lilies, and modern art collection. Eventually the two groups made their way upstairs to the second floor where the elusive statue rested.

Amanda, Jack, and Sam were standing in the room, pretending to examine the other works of art when Amanda felt her old friends' powerful Quickening signatures rush over her, announcing their near-by presence.

"Hey," Daniel greeted everyone. "See anything that would look nice on your wall Amanda?"

"Plenty darling," the female immortal replied. "I've always wanted a Pissaro or a Manet. I have this lovely spot over my sofa that would be just perfect."

"You're hilarious," Daniel said his voice just filled with sunshine and sarcasm. "So, we get the layout of the place? Any problems you see?"

"Just one," Jack said, rolling his eyes.

Daniel looked at the infamous thief expectantly.

Amanda smiled sweetly and pointed at an empty podium where a certain statue once sat.

Daniel, Teal'c, and Methos did a double take.

"Damn," Methos swore quietly and quickly read the tiny card that announced that the statue had been taken off display.

"What did they do with it?" Sam asked, looking worried at the possibility that a Goa'uld was on the loose.

"It's probably in storage," Daniel whispered. "Sam, when we get back to the hotel, I need you to hack into their system and see what the museum has done with it. If we are lucky it's in some storage room here in the museum and not in an off-site warehouse. If it's still on the property, then our plan is still on, with just a few modifications. If it's somewhere else, then we'll have to regroup and rethink this."

They continued to look around the museum a bit longer, taking in security features; doors, guards, docents, seismographs, and cameras received extra attention.

Daniel and Methos also noted three men, never too far away, but far away enough to not draw too much attention, but appeared to be following them none-the-less. They exchanged weary looks. Neither of them could get a good look at their wrists which were conveniently covered up with watches or turned inwards.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

First off, I am so sorry that this took so long to get posted. Real life kicked me pretty hard, threw up on me, and beat me with a two-by-four for awhile and forced me to readjust and reprioritize things in my life. I then got caught up and swallowed by state alternative testing for my students – i.e. lots of paperwork and headaches that left me exhausted and unable to have a single coherent thought in my head. Finally, I experienced a horrible case of writer's block. Anyway, I hope you will forgive me and thank you for coming back and reading my stuff. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Thank you to Lorilei for all of your help and suggestions. Without you and your suggestions, ideas, and prodding I wouldn't have been able to do this. You are the best!


	33. Chapter 32

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 32

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

* * *

Later that night, Jack and Amanda went off to the wedding, arm-in-arm, looking absolutely smashing together while the others dressed in dark clothing sat in Jack's truck waiting for the dashing pair to signal that all was clear.

"Doughnut?" Teal'c offered the others, passing a small box around that was filled with glazed, cream-filled, and those with sprinkles.

"At this time of the night? Seriously?" Methos asked incredulously.

"One cannot have a proper stakeout without doughnuts," intoned the larger of the two, his dark eyes serious. "Certain stereotypes must be maintained."

"I would like to address that particular stereotype if I may. Now, your stereotypical donut is nothing but dough and sugar fried in fat, am I right? Now that fat gums up your arteries and goes to your brain, and you turn liberal. And the next thing you know, Barry Manilow is on the turn-table and you're not going to work and you're voting for gun control. You see what I'm saying? You see the connection? That's why I eat granola," the Old Man said mockingly.

"You don't eat granola! Unless you count beer because it was brewed from granola like things," Daniel argued as he passed around his thermos of powerful, stand on its hind legs and bark at the moon coffee.

"It's from Sledgehammer! How can you not know Sledgehammer? It was one of the great shows of the Eighties," Methos mocked his friend, mostly just to entertain himself – riling Daniel was always a great way to pass the time.

"Maybe because I spent the Eighties fulfilling a useful goal while you only fulfilled a goal to rot your mind with stupid television and spend the decade drinking yourself into oblivion," Daniel said snidely, looking at Methos with scorn.

"Drinking is never a waste of time," Methos shot back. "And don't forget the women. Many women found me to be a smashing way to pass the time."

"If you had to pay them or get them drunk to be with you, they don't count," Daniel muttered.

"I'm mortally wounded that you would think that I, of all people, would need to do that to woo a lady."

Daniel snorted.

"What is this Sledgehammer? The television networks felt the need to create visual entertainment based upon a tool?" Teal'c interrupted, always interesting in pop Earth culture; the more bizarre the better.

"That sums the show up pretty well," Methos said and then proceeded to discuss the finer points of the show.

Sam however, sat there quietly banging her head on the glass, praying that the Colonel and the immortal known as Amanda would hurry it up before she went insane from listening to the men, while repeating a mantra of "Why me? Why did I get stuck with the Three Stooges?" to herself.

By ten o'clock, when the wedding reception was still in full gear, Daniel's phone lit up. Jack was calling, telling them to meet them at the service door on the west side of the building.

They exited the truck and stole across the lawn, careful to remain in the shadows. The last thing they wanted was to be noticed by a party guest or worse, the police.

As they made it to the door, Daniel and Methos both felt the familiar rush, announcing that Amanda was near-by.

"What took you so long?" Amanda hissed as she opened up the door to let them in. "My grandmother could run faster than you four."

"You don't have a grandmother," Daniel hissed back as he slipped inside, the backpack he was wearing was weighed down by the fake statue.

"Not important," she said, waving them on in, as she stood by the door, fiddling with the electronics, making sure that the alarms would be disabled and allow them a swift exit when the job was finished.

"Where is your tie, Sir? And is that lipstick on your cheek?" Sam asked, as she handed him a pair of black gloves that matched her own (no need to leave behind any incriminating fingerprints – especially if this adventure went south) the Colonel who was standing a bit further back from the door, watching to make sure no one was near-by.

"Uh," was all Jack could say as his ears turned a faint shade of red and busied himself by pulling on his gloves.

Amanda smirked at Jack who looked as if he was strangling. "His tie is now in the possession of a very drunk bridesmaid and the lipstick is a reminder of the groom's Aunt Gertrude who thought he was the most handsome man in the room. You should have been there to see an eighty-year-old woman practically stick her tongue down his throat."

The others shuddered slightly.

"Okay, now that we've told the gang about my night's highlights, can we get on with it?" Jack ground out.

"Yes Sir," Sam said a bit brightly before she and Methos took off for the security guards' room to disable any further alarms and cameras.

The others, with Amanda in the lead, crept through the closed off areas, past the displays of church art, a suit of armor, and statues. Finally, they made it to the hall that led to a flight of stairs that would take them to the storage areas.

There was an old-fashioned accordion style gate with a simple padlock on in to bar their way. Amanda made quick work of the simple barrier and led the group down the stairs, her stiletto heels barely making a sound on the granite staircase.

At the bottom, the encountered a heavy steel door with an electronic lock on it.

"Hum," Amanda muttered, as she pulled her tools of the trade out of the backpack she had Methos bring her; she couldn't bring it with her to the wedding in her tiny clutch. "A Trilogy Networx PDL6100 – too easy."

She busied herself by unscrewing a faceplate over the card swipe, exposing wires and circuits that led into the lock and keypad. Next she stuck a plastic card with wires coming out of it and running into a black box the size of a shoe box and then attached two alligator clips to a red and then a black wire. Humming slightly to herself, she then typed in a few commands and codes on the miniature keyboard on the box.

Suddenly the box made a rude electronic sound, causing Amanda to stop humming and quietly start cursing.

"What's taking so long?" Jack hissed as he watched for any sign that someone was about to join their party.

"Don't rush me! I'm trying to work a miracle here and even miracles take a little time," Amanda hissed back, glaring at the locking mechanism with annoyance.

Suddenly she smiled. "Oops," she said and moved one of the alligator clips to the green wire instead of the black wire.

"Oops?" Jack questioned.

"Yes, oops," Amanda said snarkily. "Even someone as great as I, in such a refined profession can have an oops-kind of moment."

"I believe that can be referred to as a plethora of equine fecal material," Teal'c quietly rumbled, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Daniel snorted. "What he said, times two."

Amanda stopped what she was doing and faced the men, her eyes flashing. "Look! I'll have you know that I am a queen among thieves and even someone as talented as I am can have an oops moment. Now do you want in the room or shall I deliberately set off an alarm and leave the three of you, plus Adam and your friend Samantha to the mercies of this city's police force?"

"Sorry Amanda dear. You're a breathtaking beauty that knows no equal and a gifted thief. Can we please get on with it? I want this over as quickly as possible," Daniel said, looking suddenly nervous. He had been wondering what the Watchers that they had noticed earlier were up too; his gut was telling him that they were near-by and up to no good - and that made him uneasy.

"That's a little better," she said in a high-handed voice and turned back to the lock.

A few more minutes passed as the Immortal thief worked her magic. Before too long, there was a low electron buzz and a series of clicks, announcing that Amanda had indeed completed her task as promised.

Teal'c pulled the door open, allowing Daniel, Amanda, and Jack free passage into the storage area.

Once inside, Daniel described the statue they were looking for, and after reminding Amanda that she was not allowed to help herself to anything else among the museum's collections, they split up to check the vast shelves in the storage room.

"If we find a crate with the Ark in it, can we keep it?" Jack joked.

"Don't be stupid Jack. You know it's kept in storage at Area-Fifty One. We saw it the last…," Daniel said then suddenly choked on his words, remembering that Amanda had no security clearance what-so-ever. He quickly checked on the beautiful Immortal who was lost in examining the treasures on the shelves.

Nope. She wasn't paying attention to their banter.

"Let's get going then," Daniel said, trying to not laugh nervously. "Not my fault," he then mouthed at Jack, who was giving him an 'are-you-out-of-your-mind' look.

Each person took a row (though Teal'c followed behind Amanda to make sure she didn't liberate a Ming vase or two), carefully checking the contents on each shelf, on either side of the aisle. Unfortunately, their progress was slowed by the enormity of the stored wealth and the fact that Jack could not refrain from touching the shiny things on display. Daniel almost smacked his friend when Jack started amusing himself with a Tibetan prayer wheel.

Finally at the end of the fifth row Daniel finally came across the elusive naga statue – two feet in height, the upper half of the figure was a man and the lower half was of a snake, with a cobra hood behind it, signifying that it was a naga. The tag attached to it had the corresponding serial number that confirmed that this was the statue that Daniel had been looking for.

He carried it out of the stacks and to a long work bench at the front of the storage area, fighting to keep from laughing like a madman. They had found the statue with little trouble and no NID insight to swoop down and snatch their find away from them; he felt almost giddy.

Setting it down on the wooden bench, Daniel frowned deeply, examining the statue carefully, looking for a mechanism to open it up to reveal an imprisoned Goa'uld.

"Maybe if I," Daniel muttered, as he ran his fingers over the carved words along the base. "Let me get my knife," he groused and started to fish through his pockets, pulling out notebooks, keys, pens, fingernail clippers, his phone, dental floss, and other interesting but currently useless items.

"Here," Jack said and handed over his multi-tooled Swiss Army knife.

"Thank you MacGyver," Daniel muttered and took the proffered tool as Jack gave him a dirty look.

Amanda rolled her eyes, having joined the group at the table to see what Daniel was so hot and bothered about. There were so many other more expensive items to be had and he wanted some carved hunk of rock. It made her wonder if the years were finally getting to her old friend. "What are you doing now? Shouldn't we be going?"

"I just want to see if it will open," he hesitated, wanting immediate gratification to see if he was right, once again.

"Oh please," Amanda drawled and grabbed the statue out from under his hands and before anyone could stop her, she slammed the figure down, letting it shatter when it hit the floor.

"Holy…buckets!" Daniel croaked, feeling his heart seizing. If it were possible for Immortals to die of a heart-attack, he was just about to do so.

Jack and Teal'c both gave similar gasps of surprise and stared disbelieving at what the Immortal had done.

"What?" Amanda asked, looking between the three of them with an appearance of innocence.

"You are supposed to be a thief of the highest talent and you demolish a work of antiquity?" Teal'c rumbled as his one eyebrow up as far as it could possibly travel.

"We need to go and don't have time for Daniel to play Indiana Jones. He has the fake one in his backpack. Get what you need, switch them out, and let's go," she said, exasperated with the men.

"Fine," Daniel said and handed off the bag to Teal'c. "Let me see what we have…," he trailed off, carefully brushing aside shattered stone to reveal what secrets the statue had possessed before Amanda's uncouth way of uncovering them.

Pushing the debris aside, he found a jar, one much like the Isis jar that Sarah and he had encountered had back in Chicago. The difference between this and the one from Chicago was that it was made out of metal, a burnished copper and still intact, giving hope that what, or who, was in the jar was still alive.

Daniel held it up and smiled knowingly at Jack, happy to have their self-imposed mission almost complete. "Let's go," he started to say but had his words cut off by a sudden and familiar fiery, hot pain tore into his body. He looked down and saw blood blossoming across his chest, originating from two spots over his heart.

"Crap," was all he managed to choke out before his body hit the floor, dead and unable to stop the three humans, all Watchers, from ruining their op.

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

First off, I am sorry that I have taken SO LONG to post the next chapter. My reasons/excuses are this: it was a rough pregnancy and once Katie was here, I found out how busy you can get with a baby. Also, I hit a wall of writer's block and once that was out of the way, I was either being lazy or distracted by other things in my life. And then, real life kicked me hard in the face. Unfortunately, I have been forced to slow down my life a tad recently thanks to finding melanoma on my ankle (of all places – but I'm fine, they got it all, my ankle looks like hamburger right now). This gave me the chance to sit and think and write. So here we are! I can't promise to crank out a chapter each week, but I'll try and do better with the next chapter. Reviews and demands for more do motivate me to write.

I do want to thank you for reading my story. It is appreciated very much. Also, I want to give a big thank you to Lorilei for always being there to motivate/encourage/yell/threaten me to get working on the story. You are a dear and wonderful friend to have!


	34. Chapter 33

Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 33

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

"Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish we seem to find ourselves in," Jack grumbled as he sat there on the hard floor of the museum, his hands and feet bound.

"It appears O'Neill that we are up an excrement stream in a semi-permeable Native American waterway transportation device without a proper propulsion device," Teal'c added, showing his displeasure and his keen wit.

Jack snorted and looked over at Amanda, checking to see if she was any closer to freeing herself from her zip-ties (the Hunters were smart enough to know that something as simple as metal handcuffs were not enough to keep the master thief down) after having been shot. Nope.

"Hey Daniel," he then called out in a whisper, trying to not draw any more unwanted attention from their captors.

"Yes Jack?" his Immortal best friend replied in a low voice from his spot in the corner closest to Jack and Teal'c, recovered nicely after also being shot.

"You remember when you told us that this would be easy and not to worry?"

Daniel sighed, hating himself for inadvertently cursing his team. "Yes Jack."

"When this is over, I'm going to beat the living shit out of you," the colonel hissed at his teammate.

"Thanks for the warning," Daniel muttered, sitting back, trying to get comfortable with his hands tightly secured by the plastic handcuffs. "So how did this happen?"

"Well Sunshine, three guys walked in and shot you in the heart," Jack sniped.

Daniel sighed deeply, reminding himself to count to ten. "Yes Jack, I remember that much," he hissed. "I was referring to what happened when I was suffering from a small case of death. How did we get tied up? You're a Colonel in the Air Force with a background in black ops. Teal'c is a Jaffa and former First Prime. How is it that you two managed to get handcuffed?"

Teal'c looked like he would happily throttle someone if only his hands were free. "The humans shot you and then AmandaMontrose. Then they proceeded to threaten to behead the both of you if we did not cooperate. Considering that the two shorter members of this unwanted intrusion held weapons that were capable of severing your head from your body, we felt it would be wise to not aggravate the situation any further," he intoned, his deep voice hushed slightly.

"Shut up!" the tallest human, a Watcher according to the visible tattoo on his wrist, yelled at Teal'c. To emphasize his point, the man pistol-whipped Daniel across the face.

"Ow!" Daniel yelled and proceeded to spit out a mouthful of blood and a tooth. "Why'd you hit me? Murray here was talking just now, not me! Why am I always the whipping boy for the group?" Daniel sounded quite petulant.

That only got him another whack across the face.

"Okay, enough of the playing whack-the-Immortal!" Daniel ground out, working his words around his fractured face, feeling the familiar tingle of his healing abilities starting to work on repairing the damage. "Why are the Watchers targeting me? I haven't messed with any of you in a couple of centuries. Did Amanda do something? Did she steal the ashes of your long dead great-Aunt?"

"Hey!" came her indignant reply from across the room. "That happened only one time and I returned them to the owner."

"Really? You stole someone's dead relative?" Jack asked, looking slightly disturbed.

"It's not like I meant to. Beside, who in their right mind would put the ashes of a relative in a wine jug from Ancient Sumerian? I'll tell you, a crazy person," the female Immortal ranted, but was interrupted by the head Watcher of the group.

"Shut up all of you!" he barked. "Why are you here, stealing from this museum?"

Daniel smiled a wicked smile, but said nothing.

The Watcher, a tall man with thinning, gray hair and pale skin, had a look of fury on his face. "I asked you a question!"

"You told me to shut up," Daniel said shrugging, despite the fact that his arms were handcuffed tightly behind his back, making the gesture slightly painful.

Jack snorted in ill-concealed mirth.

The Watcher, with his two lackeys flanking him silently (Jack had silently named them Darryl and his other brother Darryl), glared at all of them before raising his gun, a Beretta PX4 9mm with a silencer attached to the barrel and pointing it at Jack. "You had something to say?" he said coldly.

Jack stared at the man just as coldly, a dead-look in his eyes – the same one that he had given countless Goa'uld and Jaffa. He was quietly assessing the threat, judging the distance between him and Watchers (approximately ten yards), mentally placing where everyone and everything was located in the room. He knew logically that there was no way he could cover the distance between his spot on the floor and where the man was standing, while tied up, without getting shot in the process. Instead he chose to sit as quietly and as still as possible, being careful to not reveal the presence of his backup Swiss Army knife that was slowly hacking away at the heavy plastic zip-ties on his wrists.

The head guy returned his attention to Daniel. "Why were you stealing a statue from some no-name museum in the middle of nowhere America?"

"That's not very nice. Granted this isn't the Louvre or the British Museum, but it's not exactly a Podunk place either. The Nelson-Atkins Museum is actually quite nice," Daniel said blandly, stalling for time, knowing what Jack was up to. They had been teammates for too long for him to not know Jack.

As a reward for his attempt to delay the moment when the Watchers found out about the Stargate program, the guy in charge shot him in the shoulder.

It hurt like, well, getting shot, but his healing factor kicked in to repair the non-lethal damage.

"Now, you can either be honest with me or I can continue to shoot you until I get bored and I start shooting your mortal friends," he said just as blandly. "I know the old man here doesn't have that long left on Earth compared to your kind, but do you really want to make his stay here even shorter?"

"What makes you think I would even care about that? You've read my file. You know my past," Daniel said coldly, letting himself draw on his Danil-personna. "I've ridden with the Horsemen; I've killed people for less. Do you really think I actually care about them?"

The Watcher looked upon the Immortal sardonically as he replied, "If you don't care about them, how about I kill the thief first, let you absorb her Quickening and then kill you, with all of that power and knowledge going to waste? With any luck the humans would be killed this close to a Quickening. How about that?"

With the change in Daniel's demeanor, shifting from peaceful galaxy explorer, to blood-thirsty Immortal, Jack sat up a bit straighter. "I'm not that old damnit! My grey hair, caused mostly by Daniel, makes me look distinguished," he yelled, insulted that the guy with the gun could not look beyond his hair, hoping against hope that he could diffuse the situation somewhat. The last thing he wanted, besides dying, was for Danil to make an appearance.

"Shut up," Daniel and he Watcher both yelled. Daniel yelled out of fear for his friend's safety; the Watcher yelled because he was an ass.

"I feel like Rodney Dangerfield suddenly. I get no respect," he grumbled and went back to slowly sawing through his bindings.

Daniel glared at the Watchers, irritated that they would be so blasé about killing a person, but he couldn't help it when a small snicker escaped – Jack's sense of humor did amuse him from time to time. "I asked my friends to help me steal the statue because it once belonged to me centuries ago. The museum here somehow acquired it and it's not like I could ask the curator for it back. So I needed to steal it and Amanda is one of the best thieves around. My friends here are assisting my foray into modern-day larceny."

"If it was so precious to you, why did you break it? And what about this jar? Did you own that too?"

"Amanda broke it," was Daniel's immediate reply.

"Hey!" Amanda snapped.

"Well, you did," Daniel said, slightly petulantly.

The infamous thief looked at her longtime friend with more than a hint of disdain. "You were trying to do the same thing; I only hurried up the process. So why don't you get off your high horse, Mister Indiana Jones-wanna-be?"

Daniel looked insulted at that. "What do you mean wanna-be? I am much cooler than Indiana Jones could ever be and I could take him easily. He fought stupid Nazis who got their faces melted off thanks to lame special effects. I've done much cooler things in the past seven or so years, plus I speak twenty-eight languages. What can he do besides play with a whip and run around with the world's most annoying sidekick ever?"

"Shut up the both of you!" the watcher shouted. "My God, it's like herding cats with you and your friends!"

Jack snorted. "Tell me about it," he muttered, wincing at the sharp pain in his wrists and the stress put on his shoulder joints.

Daniel gave Jack a dirty look for that jab.

"What were you doing with the statue," the Watcher ground out, more than ready to shoot all of them, if only to get some silence.

Daniel shrugged. "Do you have a name?"

"Lawrence Newkirk," he replied testily.

"Okay Larry," Daniel said, sounding annoyed. "I owned the statue, or more importantly, what was hidden inside it centuries ago. I recently found out that it had been stolen from where I had put it for safe keeping and had been turned into a display for the public to behold."

"And what exactly is in it?" Newkirk asked, clearly annoyed. He had had it all planned out, sort of. He and his two colleagues (though that was a bit over stating things – more like idiots who knew how to take orders and shut up), had been following Daniel Jackson and Adam Pierson around ever since Ian Bancroft had called him in, questioning the validity of Mike Abbott's reports.

"I put the ashes of my wife in it and when I found out that it had been taken from the temple where it was supposed to be, I became annoyed. I wanted it back," Daniel said earnestly, his face open and honest, despite the fact that he was lying through his teeth. The last thing he wanted was one of the Watchers to open the jar and find one getting snaked.

"So, all of this sneaking around, crashing a wedding, weeks of plotting, years of Watcher reports that are nothing but lies, is all over the ashes of some human you lied to when you told her you loved her," Newkirk smirked. "What about the year you were declared MIA by the government?"

Daniel shrugged. "In case you haven't been reading the papers lately, the United States is at war in Afghanistan. The Air Force, the people I work for, sent me there as a cultural affairs expert and things went south." He sounded reasonable and unconcerned, but on the inside he was praying to whatever true god was out there that Methos and Sam come running to the rescue before things really went south.

Newkirk glared at Daniel. "Bullshit," he snarled.

Trying to look blasé about everything, Daniel gave a slight shrug, ignoring the pain shooting through his shoulders. "Don't believe it, I don't care. However, I can give you a nice description of what it is like to a guest of the Taliban. I do have to say that it was much worse than the first time I visited the country, but sadly enough not much had changed since then."

"You really do believe that don't you? You are so well versed in how to lie, you've actually started to believe the lies to be the truth," Newkirk sneered. "

"If any of them move, shoot them all and then behead the Immortals," he said to his cohorts.

He then turned his attention to the jar in his hands. "Odd," he muttered. "I can almost hear a humming sound coming from this."

"Oh crap! Don't open that jar, whatever you do!" Jack yelled.

"Newkirk, stop being stupid for once and wait," Daniel also yelled, immediately alarmed.

Newkirk just sneered, ignoring the advice, and proceeded to pull on the urn's carved lid, struggling to open something that had not been opened in centuries.

He managed to pry the lid open and looked in, amazed that there was a faint glow from within, as if there was modern technology inside an ancient treasure. He knew that Jackson had been lying about what his true intentions were; this only confirmed his suspicions.

Newkirk looked closer, his mouth slightly agape. "There is something moving in here," he said, shocked.

Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel all began to yell at the Watcher to drop the vase. In response, one of the sidekick-Watchers shot Daniel in the chest, cutting off his yells abruptly, as Jack and Teal'c ducked to avoid bullets flying their way.

Suddenly, a snake-like creature shot out of the jar, straight into the open mouth of the Watcher.

Newkirk let out a strangled half-scream as the alien creature burrowed its way into the soft tissue at the back of his throat, seeking out his spinal cord.

O'Neill! Hurry," Teal'c implored as he continued to struggle against his bonds, using his vast strength to break the zip-ties that held him bound.

As Newkirk stumbled and screamed, Jack gave up all pretenses at hiding his attempts to saw through his bonds. Squirming and twisting his shoulders, he sawed as furiously as he could through the plastic.

While all of this was going on, Daniel spent the time briefly choking on his own blood before dying, unable to assist his friends in freeing themselves. His last thought, before he slipped away, was: I came back from Ascension for this crap?

Just as Jack cut through his bonds, Newkirk stopped thrashing about and came to his senses. Check that, the Goa'uld came to his senses, having taken over the host's systems. His eyes glowed, showing that it was now the alien in control of the human's body.

A/N: So what do you think? Crap or not? Be a pal and leave me a constructive review to let me know what your thoughts are.

I know that it's been a long time since I've update this story and I don't have any good excuses, other than life, laziness, and prioritizing other things above fan fiction which all have gotten in the way of writing and posting. Please forgive me if you can. Also, thank you to Lori for be a constant cheerleader, encouraging me to get back to the story. I am lucky to have a friend like you in my life.


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